It's So Difficult to be Mature
by Seshat
Summary: *COMPLETE* Last Chapter UP! Post hogwarts D/G, R/H, and H/L. What happens when Harry discovers that Voldemort isn't the only Big Bad Evil on the playgroud anymore? Total chaos, of course! And this new evil isn't a wizard. She's a witch and she's insane.
1. Potters, Weasleys, and Malfoys

It's So Difficult to be Mature  
  
  
Disclaimer: If you don't know that J.K. Rowling created Harry Potter then you shouldn't be reading fan fic cause you obviously haven't read the books!  
  
A/N: This is a brand new fic from me! This is entirely separate from HP and the Star of Hope, so don't go looking for J.D. or anything about Tolblox. I might mention J.D. later, but she does not figure prominently in this story. This is my first attempt at a post Hogwarts fic. As usual I am an R/Hr shipper and I decided to try D/G. Harry's matched up with a Ravenclaw we know nothing about so that I could make up pretty much whatever I wanted about her. If you're a person who believes it should be H/C or H/G or H/Hr then this is probably not the story for you, but you may enjoy it anyway. I personally happen to hate all of those matches and I believe that Harry has not found the right girl yet (As of Book 5) Enjoy and don't forget to R/R!!!  
  
  
Chapter 1: Potters, Weasleys, and Malfoys  
  
  
"Lis, have you seen my blue dress robes?"  
  
Lisa smiled when she heard that. It was a typically Harry thing to say. He was always misplacing things and then expected her to find them. They had been married for six years and it was the same thing everyday.  
  
"Why don't you look in the closet?" she shouted up the stairs.  
  
"I already did," came the reply, "They're not in there. I can't find them."  
  
"Harry you have to find them, we're going to be late!"  
  
"Don't worry, I'm sure that Ron and Hermione will understand if we're a little late."  
  
Sometimes Lisa wondered if she knew her husband at all. Theirs had been a whirlwind romance. They had gone to school together, back when she had been Lisa Turpin, but they had never met. Harry dated Lisa's friend Cho Chang for awhile, but it didn't work out. Then one day, three years after Hogwarts, they bumped into each other outside of the Leaky Cauldron. It had been love at first sight and three months later they were married.  
  
"Harry darling, if you can't find your blue robes then wear your green ones. The babysitter will be here any minute and we have to leave."  
  
Harry came running down the stairs, dressed and ready, except for his hair which no matter what he did, always stood up. It was only one of the many things Lisa loved about him.  
  
"I'm already one step ahead of you, love. Who's our sitter this evening?"  
  
"I asked Charlie Weasley's daughter Elizabeth to stay with the children. I'm not sure about leaving them with a sitter, though. Lily's only three and James is a baby!"  
  
"Lisa, dear, I'm sure that everything will be fine. Don't worry. I'm going to go check on them why don't you go wait for Elizabeth?"  
  
Lisa walked into the living room while Harry went upstairs to see the children. He was pleased to see that they were sleeping peacefully. James reminded him so much of Lisa, but Lily was the female version of her father, from the bright green eyes, to the unruly black hair.  
  
"Harry? Elizabeth's here!" Lisa called from downstairs.  
  
Harry walked into the livingroom and smiled at the tall red-headed girl who had just come out of the fireplace. She reminded him of her father in so many ways.   
  
"Hello Mr. Potter. My parents also say hello. Am I babysitting for both Lily and James tonight?"  
  
"Yes. Now come along Harry. We mustn't keep Ron and Hermione waiting any longer," Lisa said.  
  
Elizabeth forgot her professional composure for a moment. "Oh please say hi to my aunt and uncle for me!"  
  
"We will. Now let's go. You know where to find us, Elizabeth, if anything goes wrong and Lily is allowed to have dessert tonight provided she cleans her room."  
  
Harry offered his wife his arm and together they Apparated to Ron and Hermione's house. They had a charming little house in the suburbs of London and Harry and Lisa were there in no time. Lisa knocked on the door and a moment later the door opened revealing Hermione standing in the entrance hall.  
  
"Lisa! Oh, it's so great to see you!" Hermione exclaimed as she hugged Lisa.  
  
"What about me? Don't I count for anything?" Harry asked good-naturedly.  
  
"Sorry Harry. Of course you matter. Please come in. It will be so nice to have an evening without having to worry about the kids. Ron will be down shortly, please make yourselves comfortable."  
  
She said all of this very quickly, giving Harry and Lisa the idea that something was wrong. They exchanged a quick glance before entering the house.  
  
"Hermione is something wrong with one of the children? With work?" Lisa asked delicately.   
  
Hermione looked confused. "The children? Work? No, no it's nothing like that. It's just–"  
  
"Herm, just tell us. What is it?" Lisa asked.  
  
"It's Ginny."  
  
Lisa had no idea what to say. Two years ago, Voldemort had killed thousands of people in a somewhat remote city, muggles and wizards alike. Among the fatalities was Neville Longbottom, Ginny Weasley's close friend and erratic boyfriend. She took the news badly. Her friends and family had been astounded when Ginny found solace in a rather unlikely place; the arms of Draco Malfoy. She had fallen in love and the two were wed, against the wishes of Ginny's brother Ron. The rest of her family adjusted to the idea, however, Ron did not. Matters were not helped when the new Mrs. Malfoy had to flee the country with her husband when it seemed he was a target for Voldemort. Ron had not spoken with his sister since she left. Needless to say it was a touchy subject in the Weasley household.   
  
"What about Ginny? Have you heard from her? Is she alright?" Harry asked.  
  
"Only the occasional postcard, until yesterday. She wrote me a long letter, from wherever she is right now. Something's wrong, I know it. She's still my friend, Harry, and now she's my sister-in-law. I'm worried about her. Ron refuses to even mention her name in this house. Sometimes the children forget that they have an aunt."  
  
"Why do you think something is wrong?" Lisa asked.  
  
'She's pregnant. That's what she wrote me, and she's still on the run. I don't understand it Harry, Lisa, how can you agree to marry someone if you have to run for your life all of the time?"  
  
"Herm, if you found out this afternoon that Ron was in terrible danger and you had to leave the country that very instant, wouldn't you go with him?" Harry asked wisely.  
  
"Of course, but we're already married and we have children!"  
  
"Well it looks like Ginny is going to have a child too. Herm, she obviously loves him, although why I don't know, but if she loves him we owe it to her to extend our support," Harry said gently.  
  
"I suppose Draco can't be all bad. Especially if he's given up the Dark Arts. From what she's told me that's why that's why they are on the run. He gave up being a Death Eater for her. Harry you have to talk to Ron for me. He won't listen to me and we have to help Ginny."  
  
Luckily she finished her sentence before Ron came down the stairs. He appeared to be in a jolly mood. He started speaking without noticing that his wife was close to tears.  
  
"Harry, Lisa! It's so good to see you. We don't get to see enough of each other, do we?"   
  
The dinner went fairly smoothly. Ron regaled them with tales of his work in the Accidental Magic Reversal squad and new stories of his brothers and their offspring. There was not one mention of Ginny throughout the entire meal and Harry was beginning to regret agreeing to talk with Ron. They had been best friends for sixteen years now and Harry knew how Ron could act when something really bothered him.  
  
The table was cleared and the women went into the kitchen to chat leaving Harry and Ron to talk. Harry looked at Ron nervously before speaking.  
  
"So, Ron, how are things?" Harry knew it was a poor beginning, but he couldn't think of anything else to say.  
  
"Great. Work is going well and the children are wonderful. I can't believe that Geoffrey is three already. It seemed like just yesterday he was a baby. Sometimes I can't believe that I have children, Harry. Me. Life is definitely good right now."  
  
Harry hated to ruin Ron's good mood. "Have you heard from Ginny?"  
  
Ron nearly choked on the sip of tea he had just taken. His expression darkened. "Did Hermione tell you to ask me that? Forget it Harry, I refuse to discuss it."  
  
Harry would have left it at that, but he caught his wife's meaningful glance from the kitchen. "Ron you can't avoid the subject forever. She's your little sister. She's your only sister. Why can't you support her decisions?"  
  
"Harry, she married my enemy. On top of that, she is now god knows where because of him. And, and..."  
  
"And what Ron?"  
  
"And she never asked me for my advice," Ron added in a low voice.  
  
"Is that what this is about? You're upset with her because she made a decision on her own?"  
  
"Not entirely. Malfoy is no good for her. She deserves better and I don't trust him. After everything he did to us in school, how can you accept him?"  
  
"I accept him because Ginny chose him. She is not a stupid girl, Ron. If she chose him to be her husband, then he must have some merit. You didn't give him a chance."  
  
"I never had a chance to give him a chance. They were married so quickly, and then they had to flee for their lives. What kind of life is that?"  
  
"It's the life Ginny chose. I'm sure she knew what she was getting into when she married Malfoy. Give her some credit, Ron."   
  
"This is Malfoy we're talking about. Sure, I'd probably resent any man who married my sister, but only for a short time. I never expected to hate him before he married her. Harry, she could be sick or hurt and I would never know. I refuse to discuss this any longer. Forget it. How's England doing in Quidditch?"  
  
Harry wanted to keep talking. He wanted Ron to forgive his sister, but he knew that Ron would simply stop talking if pushed any farther.  
  
"Very well I hear. I haven't been able to keep up as much as I'd like to, but I hear the occasional story."  
  
Ron breathed a quiet sigh of relief, glad that Harry had changed the subject. "Haven't they asked you to play for England, Harry?"  
  
"Three times already. I turned them down each time."  
  
"What? Are you crazy? You're the best Seeker Hogwarts ever saw!"  
  
"I'm an Auror now, Ron. I like my life the way it is."  
  
"But playing Quidditch would be wonderful, and it would probably be a lot–"  
  
"A lot what? Safer? Probably, but I have lived the past twenty-six years of my life with danger, I'm not about to give it up now."  
  
Ron was still a little annoyed that Harry had brought up the subject of Ginny, so he introduced a subject that had a similar affect on Harry.  
  
"What about that ordeal six years ago?"  
  
Sure enough, Harry's face clouded. Ron had no idea why he had the sudden urge to hurt Harry, but bringing up this topic was a sure way to go about it. He regretted it at once, especially when he saw the look in Harry's eyes.  
  
"Forget it. I didn't mean to bring it up," Ron tried quickly to cover his mistake.  
  
"Which ordeal would that be? Would that be the day when I had to face down Voldemort for the umpteenth time? I defeated him then, there was no trace of him found, him or his Death Eaters. The world praised me again. I didn't want their praise, I knew he wasn't really gone. But to them I was a hero. I was the Boy Who Lived all over again," the fury in Harry's voice was enough to bring Hermione and Lisa out of the kitchen and the sarcastic emphasis Harry gave the expression 'Boy Who Lived', was enough to make Ron shudder. "Only I shouldn't have lived and I didn't defeat Voldemort either. Exactly one year later he came back and wreaked havoc anew. Witches and Wizards wouldn't look me in the face for months. Is that the ordeal?"  
  
Ron looked abashed. "I'm sorry Harry. I didn't mean to bring it up. Let's talk about something else."  
  
"That's alright Ron. I'm getting tired and we have to relieve the babysitter. I believe it's started to rain and Lily has a problem with thunderstorms. I'll talk to you tomorrow."  
  
Five minutes later, after they had said their goodbyes, the Potters Apparated back to their house. Harry sent Elizabeth through the fire back to her house while Lisa checked on the kids. They were still sleeping peacefully. Lisa came down the stairs to see her husband sprawled out on the sofa. She walked over to him, not sure if he was sleeping.  
  
"Harry," she said softly, touching him on the shoulder.  
  
"What?"  
  
"Good you're awake. I want to discuss what happened tonight. Are you ever going to get over what happened? I suppose not. Just like you're not going to get over your parents death, or Cedric's death, or any other death you think you caused."  
  
"You too?" Harry sat up and looked his wife straight in the eyes. "You're going to attack me now?"  
  
"No Harry, darling. I just want you to understand that nothing that has ever happened between you and Voldemort was your fault. Every time that you delayed him, that was buying the world some time. You are a hero."  
  
Harry was about to reply when the doorbell rang. Lisa stood up and went to answer it, leaving Harry to sort out some old emotions. He was going to apologize to Lisa when she called to him.  
  
"Harry, come here. Quickly!"  
  
Harry jumped up from the sofa and ran into the foyer. He was met by a sight he never thought he'd see.   
  
"What in the–"  
  
Standing on his doorstep was a soaking wet and very pregnant Ginny Malfoy. She looked at Harry and spoke. The words were just barely audible.  
  
"Draco's missing," she announced before fainting gracefully into Harry's arms.  
  
A/N: Please tell me what you think, chapter two coming soon!  
  
  



	2. Playing Mind Games

Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot. All else goes to J.K. Rowling and I suppose Warner Brothers, all rights reserved.

A/N: Here's chapter two, it's slightly longer, I hope you enjoy! Please R/R!! And to those of you who reviewed despite the fact that ff.net is screwy right now, thanks very much, I luv ya!

  
  


Chapter 2: Playing Mind Games

  
  


Harry was shocked, to say the least. He was holding in his arms a girl he thought was halfway around the globe and on top of that, she was unconscious. Harry looked at his wife and carried Ginny over to the couch. Neither of them said a word for a few minutes.

"What did she say when you answered the door?" Harry asked.

"She stood there, obviously exhausted, and asked for you. I didn't know what else to do so I called you. Harry, having her unconscious is not very good for the baby." 

"You're probably right. Ennervate!" 

Ginny sat up slowly, clutching her head. She looked around the room, unsure of where she was, and she seemed dizzy. She looked up at Harry and started to cry. 

"Oh Harry!" she sobbed. "He's gone, he's been kidnaped! I don't know what to do and Ron won't speak to me, so I came here. You have to help me!"

Harry was prevented from answering by the doorbell ringing. He had no idea who it could be. Who would visit on a night like this? He went to answer it, leaving Lisa to deal with Ginny.

"I don't know if you remember me," Ginny began.

"You came to our wedding. I also saw you at your brother's wedding," Lisa replied.

"Which one?"

* * * 

Harry reached the front door and was greeted by another strange sight. Would the surprises never stop?

"Hermione? What are you doing here? Is Ron with you?"

"Ron and I had an argument. A very large argument. I told him I needed to think about things and I wanted to talk to you."

"I don't know if this is the best time-"

"Ginny?"

Hermione had spotted her sister-in-law through the doorway. She went in, leaving Harry standing in the doorway. He followed her in and looked beseechingly at his wife.

"Alright," Lisa said, beginning to take charge, "we're all going upstairs. Harry, I want you to check on the children, Hermione, you help me escort Ginny up the stairs. She's probably unsteady on her feet. We will need to get her something hot to drink. I am going to get both of you fresh clothes and then we're all going to go back downstairs and calmly discuss this. Understood?" Lisa was a fully trained nurse at St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries and when she used her authoritative voice, no one dared to disobey.

The group trooped upstairs and Harry checked on the children. He was pleased to find that they were sleeping undisturbed. He went back downstairs again and found the three women sitting in the livingroom drinking tea. Ginny and Hermione's hair were still wet, but they were now in dry clothes. 

"Okay, Ginny, you start. What are you doing here?" Harry asked.

"Like I said before I passed out, Draco's missing! I have no idea where he is!" Ginny started to cry again. "We arrived in London two days ago, Draco said he had some business to take care of. I wanted to come see you, but I know how Ron feels about us. We were going to Diagon Alley, to Gringotts, when we were attacked. I must have lost consciousness and when I awoke, Draco was gone! I came here as soon as I could. Please, you must help me!"

  
  


"Ginny it's alright! We'll help you find him. Hermione you wanted to discuss something?" Harry asked.

Hermione looked uncomfortable. "Yes, but I need to talk to you, alone."

Harry understood immediately. "Ah. Lis, why don't you take Ginny upstairs and show her one of the guest rooms. She can rest until we come up with a solution."

Lisa walked upstairs followed closely by Ginny. When they had gone, Hermione started to speak.

"Harry, I don't know what to do. You already know what the argument was about, don't you?"

"I suspect it had to do with Ginny. Right?"

"Yes. I'm not sure that I approve of Malfoy as Ginny's husband, but it's been two years already and Ron still won't speak to her. Ginny is one of my closest friends and now she's family. How can he be so heartless?"

"Hermione," Harry said kindly, "Don't you think you're being a little bit hard on Ron? Malfoy is the man who made our lives, well, unhappy for seven years. He might have changed now, but seven years of torment is hard to forget. Especially when a lot of it was directed at his family."

"But you can accept Malfoy and he hurt you just as badly, maybe worse! The rest of Ron's family has accepted him, why can't Ron? I'm not asking for Ron to start being friends with Malfoy, but can't he at least talk to his sister?"

"Hermione, you married him, you know what kind of a person Ron is. Remember back in our third year, how upset he was with you when he thought that Crookshanks had eaten Scabbers? When Ron gets upset about something he puts everything into it. He's an all or nothing type of person. We can't force him to change his mind, that will simply force him further away. We are going to have to try to influence him. Until we can straighten this all out, I suggest that we don't tell Ron Ginny is in London. Agreed?"

Hermione nodded her head and Lisa came downstairs, followed shortly by Ginny. They were ready to have a council of war.

"Okay Gin, we have decided that we're not going to tell Ron that you are staying with us because we're not sure what his reaction will be."

Ginny's face fell at the news, but she nodded her consent. Harry continued.

"Now, you say that Malfoy- I mean Draco was missing when you woke up. I hate to even have to ask this, but are you sure he didn't leave of his own free will?"

Ginny's brown eye's flashed at the accusation. "Harry, Draco would never do that! As hard as it may be for everyone to believe, he loves me! He has been kidnaped. Oh, Voldemort must have discovered we were back in London. He's going to kill my husband!"

"Ginny, calm down! Please!" Harry was desperate to have her relax, "I have an idea that just might work. It's a trick we learned in Auror training when we have to send spies into a dangerous area. Lisa, can you grab me the book from the library? You know which one. Now what we have to do is..."

* * *

When Draco Malfoy awoke, he experienced a headache that nearly knocked him out again. He stood up experimentally and was somewhat pleased to find that he could still walk. His senses swam and he couldn't see very well, but otherwise he felt like he was in one piece. He could hardly remember what had taken place before he was knocked out, but Draco was sure he was with his wife when it happened.

"Ginny?" he asked the room in a raspy, dry, voice.

"How touching," said a voice that was certainly not his wife's. 

Draco paled with fear when he saw the person come out of the shadows. So it had happened. All he could pray was that Ginny was all right.

"How touching," Voldemort repeated, "that the first thing you should say upon waking is your wife's name. Draco, I want to make a bargain with you. I was displeased that you chose to run away before, but you would be a powerful ally, so I am giving you another chance. I request that you join my ranks as a Death Eater."

Draco knew that wasn't an option. When he married Ginny, he promised to give up the Dark Arts, or she would leave him. So far he had kept his promise and Draco had found his life more enjoyable. He was not going to break the promise now.

"Sorry, no can do," Draco was surprised to hear how flippantly he was speaking, "I made a promise to the wife, no more Dark Arts. You'll just have to let me go and find another Death Eater to take my place. I'm sure that there are plenty more."

Voldemort smiled his bone-chilling smile. "I am afraid that you do not understand. This is not a choice. If you do not join me then I will take other measures."

Draco swallowed. "I'm sure that I don't want to know what the other measures are, do I?"

Voldemort surprised him by saying, "I believe your wife, Mrs. Virginia Malfoy, is pregnant, no?"

"What does that have to do with anything?" Draco couldn't stop himself from asking.

"Only that I am sure your wife would not want anything to happen to the child's father, or to the child itself."

Draco went even paler, if that were possible. He would sacrifice himself if it would protect her, for he truly loved his wife and did not want anything to happen to her. He was about to agree to Voldemort's proposition, as long as Ginny was safe, when he heard a strong voice in the back of his mind.

_Draco Ignatius Malfoy!_

Inwardly Draco winced. The only person who knew his middle name, besides his parents, was his wife. He had told her on the day they were married.

"Ginny?" He said tentatively aloud.

Voldemort looked confused for a moment, then he smiled. "I believe you are delirious, for although your wife is beautiful, I look nothing like her. Do we have an agreement?"

Draco was going to agree when the voice spoke again. This time he thought his response rather than voicing it aloud.

'Ginny? What are you doing in my mind?'

_It's a spell that allows me to communicate with you, mind to mind. It was Harry's idea, but he had me do it because, and I quote, 'I'm sure he would rather hear his wife than have Harry Potter in his head.'_

"Potter?" In his confusion Draco accidentally said that out loud.

Voldemort looked at him searchingly. "Mr. Potter does not come into my plans as of yet. However, I cannot divulge my plans until you are made a Death Eater. I repeat, and I will not do so again, do we have an arrangement?"

_Draco, what do you think you're doing? We had an agreement_! 

'I'm trying to save your life!'

For a moment it sounded like Ginny had laughed. Then she resumed.

_How will becoming a Death Eater and breaking your promise to me save my life? You know what happens if you turn to the Dark side, Draco. Is becoming a Death Eater worth losing me and the baby?_

'That's just it! I don't want to lose you, but he said he'll kill you if I don't join!'

_Draco, if you join he could kill me anyway and he could kill you too! He's killed his own Death Eaters before. But if you don't join then we have a chance to save you. Don't give in. Stall him! _

Although he knew he was facing danger, Draco couldn't help but ask a pointless question.

'Can Potter hear this?'

_No. This is just between you and me. Now stall him!_

Draco did his best to obey. Ginny rarely raised her voice, and when she did he knew to listen. 

"What would I have to do to become an official Death Eater?" Draco asked when he became aware of Voldemort's impatient stare.

Voldemort smiled again. "Wise choice. I will leave you here to think up a proper sacrifice. I will be back later."

Draco breathed a quiet sigh of relief when Voldemort left, and he returned to the conversation in his head.

'Now what?'

  
  


_First promise me that you're not actually going to go through with this_

'Of course I'm not. I made a promise and Malfoys always keep their promises.'

_Okay. Now where are you?_

'I don't know!'

_What do you mean? How are we supposed to rescue you if even you don't know where you are?_

'Ginny, this isn't exactly being helpful.'

_Sorry, darling. I'm not feeling well and I'm so worried about you!_

Draco's heart skipped a beat. 'You're not felling well? What's wrong?'

_Don't worry dear. I'm fine, I'm just tired and my head hurts from being knocked out, Now back to saving you, can you Disapparate?_

Draco tried to concentrate on leaving the room, but there was nothing. 'No. I'm trapped. What do we do now?'

_Just a moment, I need to talk to Harry._

'Please don't be long.'

Ginny's heart skipped a beat as she left the spell. She was very worried about her husband, but she was trying to be strong for him. When he said that she began to cry again. Pulling out of the link between minds, Ginny turned to Harry.

"Harry, how are we going to get him out? He doesn't know where he is!'

"I can try another spell that might locate him, but Voldemort is not a fool. He is going to have his hideout very well protected. Ginny, I'm not sure what to do."

"We can't leave him there! I have to help him! Harry, we have to do something!"

"Give me a minute to think!" Harry instantly regretted his harsh words. His patience was running short and he was emotionally drained. "I apologize. We will come up with a solution, Gin. Please, just calm down."

Ginny was trying to stop herself from getting hysterical. She was almost ready to scream and run away, but she knew that she had nowhere else to go. That was why she went to Harry in the first place.

"If anyone else has a suggestion, I wouldn't mind hearing it," Harry said as he rubbed his temples.

Hermione began to raise her hand, as though she was in a dream state. When she realized what she was doing she brought her hand down and blushed slightly. Then she spoke.

"I think that I might just have an idea. The only problem is that if we want to find, um, Draco, then we need to tell Ron that you're in London."

That suggestion was met with as much chaos as three people can make.

"I thought we agreed not to tell Ron. We don't know what his reaction would be!" Harry exclaimed.

"Why would we need to tell him anyway?" Ginny asked, slightly scornful.

"He has connections-" Hermione began.

"With whom? He works on the Accidental Magic Reversal squad. He hasn't got connections with Death Eaters," Lisa stated.

"His only connection is to Percy and I have the same connection. Besides, I don't see how the new Minister of Magic is going to want to help Draco. Draco isn't exactly my family's favorite person," Ginny said. 

Hermione looked upset that everyone was suddenly attacking her husband, but she was prevented from speaking by the sudden appearance of a certain person. 

"Perfect," Harry said, right before Ron Weasley appeared in the livingroom

  
  


* * * 

"Harry, I-" Ron began addressing his friend, but stopped when he realized who was sitting on the Potter's couch. His jaw dropped and he switched his gaze from his sister to his wife and back again.

"Would someone please tell me what is going on? I would love to know why my wife and my sister are having a chat with my best friend and I wasn't invited to this lovely gathering."

The tone in Ron's voice was something Lisa had never heard before. To be sure, they had never been the best of friends; that was Harry's role. Lisa didn't know very much about the engima that was Ronald Weasley. Hermione didn't discuss him that often and he never shared anything with her personally. She sometimes felt that Ron only put up with her for Harry's sake, and that made her sometimes uncomfortable in his presence.

Lisa quickly switched into damage control. "Ron! We were just going to send for you. We have some things to discuss, and, surprise, your sister is here!" 

That terrible joke did nothing to soothe Ron's temper, which seemed to be stretched as far as it could go. Lisa could see that it was an extremely tense moment.

"Excuse me, Harry, Lisa, but I need to speak to my wife for a moment and then have a conversation with my sister. In which room may we speak undisturbed?"

"The kitchen should be fine Ron. Please, don't yell. I don't want to wake the children," Harry said.

Ron stomped towards the kitchen and Hermione followed meekly behind. Harry and Lisa were left in uncomfortable silence as Ginny sat there staring into space. Lisa felt no qualms about eavesdropping, especially when Ron's voice rose to a rather piercing pitch.

"What are you doing here?" Ron shouted

"I was having a conversation with Harry," Hermione replied calmly.

"Ginny is here! Why didn't you call me?"

"Why would we? We all know how you feel about her, it's not as if it's a secret."

Lisa looked over at Ginny, but she looked as though she hadn't heard a word. The argument continued.

"Were you going to tell me at all?"

"Ron, must you keep yelling at me? This is pointless! Just talk to your sister, or leave. Maybe do both!"

Lisa had never heard Hermione so angry. It was unnerving.

"I can't believe you were going to keep this from me. Hermione, go get Ginny. I don't want to argue with you anymore, I need to speak with her."

Lisa backed away from the door just as Hermione came storming out. She caught a glimpse of Ron through the swinging door. He had his arms folded across his chest and was scowling.

"He wants to talk to you Ginny," Hermione said.

Ginny walked into the kitchen with her eyes downcast. Hermione took her place on the sofa and put her hands over her eyes. After a moment she looked up at Harry and Lisa with tears in her eyes. Ron and Ginny's conversation was much quieter-in the beginning. The three adults in the living room sat in silence until the noise from the kitchen grew louder.

"Ron, I don't believe you! You are acting like such a child! Draco is not the same person and he is in danger. Can't you put your childish feud aside long enough to help my husband?"

"Virginia," That showed how upset Ron was with his sister, no one used Ginny's given name, "I don't like Draco Malfoy, and I don't trust him. I say that we let him escape his own mess!"

It sounded as if Ginny had burst into tears. "Ron! He's my husband and the father of my baby! I love him and he loves me! Why can't you understand that?"

Ron said something unintelligible and Lisa barely had time to move out of the way before Ron charged out of the kitchen. He paused briefly to say goodnight to Harry and Lisa before Disapparating.

  
  


Ginny walked slowly out of the kitchen. She looked exhausted and as if she were going to drop. 

"Lisa, I need to take a nap until we come up with a solution to help Draco. Would you please show me the bathroom?" Lisa nodded and the two women walked up the stairs.

Hermione turned to Harry and sighed. The sigh was a sigh of despair.

"Harry, do you ever regret marrying so young?"

Harry looked at Hermione as though she had grown antlers or something equally as strange.

"Regret marriage? Absolutely not! I love Lisa, and Lily and James as well. Do you regret marriage?"

"I don't know."

Harry looked at his friend in surprise. He had never heard such a defeatist attitude from her.

"Herm, what's really wrong?"

"Harry, I met Ron when I was eleven. We started dating when we were fifteen. I married him when I was barely twenty-one. I don't believe that I've dated anyone else, unless you count Viktor. Ever since we were married I feel like I've lost a part of myself. Instead of being me, I'm nothing but Mrs. Hermione Weasley. I thought that even if that's how the rest of the world saw me, I could still count on Ron to know me. Now I feel as though I don't even know the man I married anymore. He doesn't listen to me, and won't acknowledge my ideas. I still love him, but I don't know if I can keep living like this."

Harry was stunned. His eyes slowly met Hermione's

"How long have you felt like this?"

"Since the Massacre two years ago. Since the whole incident with Ginny and Draco. I can't get through to him, Harry. That's why I came to you. I need advice. How do you do it? How do you and Lisa have a fairy tale romance?"

Harry laughed hollowly. "Fairy tale romance? There's nothing fairy tale about it. We have our share of arguments, but every time that we fight I always remember the girl I ran into that day six years ago. Hermione, I dated plenty of girls in school and during the three years before I met Lisa, but I never found anyone that I could open myself up to. Even around you and Ron I still hold back. With Lisa, I can say anything and it's my faith in her and her love for me that keeps this marriage alive. That's what let us know that we shouldn't wait forever to share our lives. I thought that you and Ron felt the same way."

"Harry, I married my school sweetheart, and when he refuses to listen to me I have to wonder what would have happened if I had dated someone else. I don't want the children to suffer, but I really don't know if I can continue to live with a man who doesn't seem to respect me."

"Respect you? Ron worships you! He adores you and always has. Have you talked to Ron about this?"

Hermione seemed exasperated. "That's just the problem! I've tried to discuss it many times, but he just won't listen. He's shut off from me. He won't discuss what's really bothering him."

"Hermione, maybe you had better make him listen."

"Good idea," said a voice from upstairs. "My brother is being a prat. Now if you don't mind can we get back to rescuing my husband?"


	3. The Rescue Too Easy

Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot. All else goes to J.K. Rowling and I suppose Warner Brothers, all rights reserved.  
  
A/N: This story hasn't been getting very many reviews, so I beg of you, REVIEW!!! Thank you for your time. In this chapter anything in bold italics is a flashback   
  
Chapter 3: The Rescue Too Easy   
  
  
Ginny carefully walked down the stairs followed by Lisa who was carrying James. Ginny made her way into the livingroom and situated herself on the sofa.   
  
"I'm sorry to have eavesdropped, but I couldn't help but overhear. Hermione, Ron needs time to cool off. In the mean time, my husband is in a prison somewhere with Voldemort breathing down his neck. Do we have a solution?"   
  
"We're going to try a locating spell, Gin," Harry answered. "If that doesn't work we'll regroup and come up with another plan."   
  
"Well, let's start locating!"   
  
They all trooped into the library, where Harry selected a large, leather-bound book off one of the shelves. It was green and the cover was frayed. The inscription was too worn to read, but Harry seemed confident about his choice.   
  
"Here this is the one, location spells. We need something that belongs to Draco. Ginny, do you have anything?"   
  
Ginny seemed reluctant to speak. "Well, I do, but you're going to think this is silly..."   
  
"Ginny," Harry said, exasperated, "we don't exactly have time for this. Just give me whatever it is that you have."   
  
Ginny reached around her neck and grabbed the chain that hung there. On the chain was a gold locket encrusted with diamonds and a good-sized ruby. She opened it and inside, instead of a picture, was a lock of silvery-blonde hair.   
  
"Here," she said handing it to Harry, "and don't say anything. It was a wedding gift from Draco. It's a Malfoy family heirloom and it's tradition for the locket to be passed down to the newest Malfoy bride."   
  
"Um, don't you think it's a bit extravagant, Gin?" Hermione asked. "No, I don't. I happen to like it. Now, you have a lock of Draco's hair, can we please start the spell?"   
  
Harry pulled out a map of England. "Now if the spell works, then Draco will show up on this map– if he's in England. So here we go."   
  
Harry said a few poetic words in Latin and they waited with bated breath for a few heart-rending seconds. They let out a collective sigh when a small red dot labeled Draco Malfoy showed up on the map.   
  
"Oh thank goodness," Ginny said ecstatically. "So? When can we go get him?"   
  
"We?" Lisa repeated. "Ginny, you are pregnant. Seven months, I'd say. You aren't going anywhere."   
  
"He's my husband! I have a right to want to rescue my husband. Let's go."   
  
"You're not going anywhere, Ginny. This is too dangerous for you," Lisa explained.   
  
"I've been in danger before. I can handle myself," Ginny retorted.   
  
"When you were in danger before, you weren't seven months pregnant!" Hermione exclaimed.   
  
"Seven and a half," Ginny grudgingly admitted.   
  
"Exactly, you don't want anything to happen to Draco's baby, do you? Act sensibly, Ginny," Lisa said softly.   
  
Ginny looked from Lisa, who's face was set in her 'stern nurse' look, to Harry, who's face was blank, no emotion at all, to Hermione, who's face bore an expression of concern.   
  
"Alright. Harry, you have to save him, you have to!" Ginny's voice rose to a higher pitch.   
  
"I will, Ginny. I promised." Harry looked from his wife to Hermione. "I'm going alone. It will be safer if there's only one man."   
  
"Harry, you can't go alone. It's too dangerous! This is Voldemort's personal castle we're discussing here!" Lisa exclaimed.   
  
"Lisa, darling, I'm not planning to duel him this time. That can come later. This is purely a rescue mission. If I'm alone and I have my invisibility cloak, then it should be fairly simple."   
  
"But, Harry–"   
  
"But nothing, Hermione. Go home, check on your children, and talk to Ron. Lisa you have to stay here with Ginny and take care of the children. I'm going to take the map, my wand, and the cloak. I should be fine. Now, Lis, if you need to reach me, use the telekinesis spell. I happen to be highly sensitive to it so it shouldn't be difficult to reach me."   
  
Lisa looked upset and Hermione was bordering on mutinous. Of the group, only Ginny looked calm and Harry supposed she was thinking of her baby.   
  
"You can not order me back to my house! You are not in charge of me, Harry Potter! I am not ready to talk to Ron."   
  
"I am not trying to control you, Hermione. I know how much help you've been to me in the past, but this should be relatively simple and every one will be much safer if only one person goes."   
  
"Why does the one person have to be you?" Hermione asked.   
  
"Let's not make this a big argument. This isn't the time for it. Let's just say that the one person will be me because I have the most experience with Voldemort."   
  
That answer failed to pacify Hermione, who looked like she was about to dispute that argument. Before she could say anything, Harry spoke again.   
  
"I shouldn't be gone very long. I assume that I can't Apparate there so I'll need two broomsticks. Lisa, give me James and I'll put him back to bed. Can you grab the Lightning Bolt and the Nimbus 3000 from the closet? Thanks."   
  
As Lisa left to collect the brooms, Harry went upstairs to put his son to bed. Looking at his children sleeping peacefully, Harry swelled with pride and a new resolve. He would help Draco Malfoy, for he was going to be a father too. He deserved to see his child.   
  
Lily stirred in her sleep. As Harry looked down at his daughter, who looked so much like him, he thought about how lucky she was to be able to sleep peacefully. On stormy nights such as this, Harry was plagued by nightmares, remembrances of the horrible ordeal two years ago, more popularly termed 'the Massacre'.   
  
  
**_"Harry, hurry! Neville's invited us to see his new place, and we still have pick up Ginny!"   
  
"I can't believe that the Ginny we know is the same Virginia Weasley who's such a big shot at Gladrags Wizardwear," Harry said as he came down the stairs.   
  
"Harry, I'm worried about leaving Lily with a sitter–especially with the attacks that have been happening lately," Lisa said worriedly.   
  
"Lisa, darling, if you'd rather stay here then by all means, stay. There are many protective charms placed over the house. Now, I'd better leave."   
  
  
_**Looking back, Harry realized how lucky Lisa was that she didn't go with him that night. **_   
  
  
Harry grabbed his coat and said goodbye to his wife with a kiss. Ginny's Apparating license had been suspended after she Apparated one day at midnight completely inebriated. Harry had volunteered to pick her up in his muggle car so that they could go to Neville's house-warming party together.   
  
Harry stepped into the brand new car and drove to Ginny's flat. The cheerful redhead was waiting for him on her porch.   
  
"Hello, Harry!" Ginny called and waved. "Thanks very much for the ride. I don't know how I would have gotten to Neville's if you hadn't called. How are Lisa and Lily?"   
  
"They're wonderful, thanks for asking," Harry said. "Are Ron and Hermione going to come tonight?"   
  
"Ron is, but Geoffrey has a fever and Herm doesn't want to leave him with a sitter."   
  
"Lisa decided to stay home with Lily, too. Mothers will overreact won't they?" Harry laughed._**   
  
  
Harry shook himself from the memory and ran down the stairs. Lisa was holding two fine looking brooms, and Ginny was talking with Hermione, who was still disgruntled.   
  
"Alright, I'm ready. I'll see you later and I'll bring Draco back here. Thank goodness the rain stopped." Harry kissed his wife and waved to Ginny and Hermione. Then he walked out the front door and mounted his Lightning Bolt. With another wave goodbye, Harry Potter flew off into the night.   
  
* * *   
  
Draco's head was hurting again. He had racked his brain, trying to come up with a solution to his current situation. Something Draco Malfoy had always prided himself on was his resourcefulness. It was a necessary tool if you were the son of a prominent Death Eater.   
  
Draco strained his neck to look at his surroundings. Voldemort would be back soon, and he would want to know what Draco's sacrifice was. The problem was, Draco didn't have a sacrifice. He stretched his arm and grimaced. His whole body hurt, and he had pain in places he didn't know he had.   
  
A single tap on the door was all the warning he was allowed before Voldemort walked in. Draco felt an involuntary shudder run down his spine.   
  
"Draco, have you thought of a proper sacrifice yet?"   
  
"Um, no, I haven't, Could I have a little longer? Or maybe forgo the sacrifice altogether? I really don't have anything you'd want."   
  
"I think you do, but I will give you more time. Remember, Draco, there are only two ways you can leave here–you join me or you leave here in pieces."   
  
With that parting shot, Voldemort swept from the room. Draco thought that he had kept his cool, but he found that he was trembling instead. Carefully, Draco stood up and took a good look around what could only be called a cell. There was some fresh water in a pitcher in the corner and a single barred window. It was too high up to see out of, but it let in the occasional cool breeze. Aside from a few cobwebs and a three legged stool, the room was sparse.   
  
_Draco, darling, can you hear me? _  
  
'Ginny?' he thought.   
  
_Thank goodness you're still alive! Listen, Harry's on his way to rescue you. We know where you are! Isn't that wonderful? _   
  
'Yes, wonderful.'   
  
_You don't sound very happy. Is something wrong? You didn't agree to his proposal, did you?   
_  
'Of course not. I can't wait to see you darling. I've been so worried!'   
  
_I've been worried about you as well. I have to go now. I'll see you soon, dearest. _  
  
Draco felt the pressure lift from his mind and he knew that his wife had left. Suddenly Draco realized how alone he was. Ginny had left him alone with his thoughts.   
  
* * *   
  
Harry stopped his flight in the middle of a densely wooded area. Voldemort's citadel was just down the dirt path, he'd be there in no time. Harry stowed the brooms behind a tall pine tree and cast an Unnoticeable Charm so that no one would steal them. Then he set off down the path.   
  
The nearer Harry got to the castle the closer his thoughts got to the Massacre. He couldn't help but remember the fear that surrounded that day. They had been so happy, and so naive.   
  
  
**_They were only a few miles from True Destiny, the small village that Neville Longbottom had just moved to. The entire place was somewhat new, all of it's residents had just moved in, but the property had been around for years. There was supposed to be some sort of curse on the land and no one wanted to go near it. Until some rich muggleborn wizard came and completely modernized the town. He left all of the buildings intact, but added modern luxuries, such as indoor plumbing. Both muggles and wizards alike had been welcome to live there, and it was said to be the perfect place for singles although families lived there too. Neville certainly thought it was perfect.   
  
The weather that evening was pleasant for winter. The ground was covered in a light layer of snow, but it had long since stopped falling. The temperature was cold with a bite to it, but if you had a good coat then you were warm enough.   
  
As they drove, the two adults talked about their lives. Ginny had been out of the country for a month on special business for her company, so they wanted to catch up.   
  
"So, Ginny, do you think Neville is going to propose?" Harry asked.   
  
"Oh, God I hope not!" Ginny said.   
  
"Why?" Harry asked curiously.   
  
"I like Neville a lot, I may even love him, but my life is going just the way I want it right now. Marriage would ruin everything. Besides, Neville's a sweetie, but he's not my idea of husband material. What we have now is fun, but it's not serious, and that's all I'm looking for right now."   
  
"How is Gladrags, Gin?" Harry asked.   
  
"Oh, it's wonderful! I'm in line for a big promotion. My boss says my designs are cutting edge."   
  
"That's great. You're really doing wonderfully. You've worked awfully hard to get where you are."   
  
"Hey," Ginny said suddenly, "What's that?"   
  
Harry looked out the window towards where Ginny was pointing. As he turned, Harry felt a horrible premonition. Sure enough, when he looked out the window he saw a large, glowing green skull hovering over the town of True Destiny. _**   
  
  
Harry, under the cover of his invisibility cloak, surveyed the fortress. He walked around to the back (quite a feat considering it's size) and considered his options. He somehow had to get inside without tripping any alarms or bumping into anyone. The only solution was to go through the front gate. As soon as a Death Eater went through, Harry, under his cloak, would follow on his toes.   
  
The first phase of the plan went smoothly. Harry followed a burly Death Eater right past the guard. He was inside, only he wasn't sure where to go from there. He checked the map and the dot labeled Draco Malfoy winked up at him from the paper. Harry started down the hall, periodically checking for Death Eaters or any other horrible creatures. The halls were clear, everything was silent.   
  
Harry went from room to room, peeking in the tiny window on the door. His heart went out to some of the people he saw in those rooms, but he couldn't help them right then. If he could, Harry resolved to come back and come to their aid.   
  
Finally Harry reached the right cell. He was too busy trying to unlock the door to notice the conspicuous absence of activity. When Harry looked though the window and saw Draco Malfoy lying on the ground, a flood of memories rushed back to his mind.   
  
  
**_As soon as they saw the Dark Mark Ginny pushed open the door and started running.   
  
"Ginny!" Harry called urgently.   
  
"What are you doing? Are you insane?"   
  
"All of those people, Neville! Harry, we have to help them!"   
  
Harry caught her arm. "Ginny, this looks bad. We have to get help. We can't go running in there by ourselves, it would be suicide! The place is probably crawling with Death Eaters."   
  
Ginny started struggling. "No, we have to help them, some might still be alive. What if Neville's in there? We have to go, we have to!"   
  
"Ginny, there's nothing we can do. If we go into that village, we're more likely to die then we are to rescue anybody. We have to get out of here."   
  
But Ginny continued to pull towards True Destiny. "I won't go, they need help!"   
  
"Ginny, that's suicide, now come on!" As Harry pulled her towards the car a lone figure caught his eye. A single person was stumbling towards them, but as he reached them he fell forward into the snow. It wasn't a man Harry recognized, but Ginny seemed to know him.   
  
"Mr. Lazarus? Are you alright?" Ginny asked cautiously. "Harry get him into the car, he needs warmth."   
  
"Who is he?" Harry asked as he picked up the surprisingly heavy man and put him in the backseat.   
  
"Neville's landlord. I've met him once or twice before when Neville was picking out his flat. This doesn't look good. He's passed out and I think he has hypothermia."   
  
"Is he muggle or wizard?" Harry asked.   
  
"Muggle. Both live in True Destiny, you know."   
  
"Then we can't take him to St. Mungo's. Where's the nearest muggle city?"   
  
"I don't know. This town is rather remote. How are your medi-magic skills?" Ginny asked, taking Mr. Lazarus' pulse. "He's still alive, but he needs medical attention."   
  
"Sorry Gin, Lisa's the nurse in the family. I think he's waking up."   
  
"Help me, help us," Mr. Lazarus croaked. "Tall man, not really man, took out piece of wood, he shot us with light. First the babes, then the women, then he laughed. Cold, high, laugh. I ran, he shot me, said some word. Many, many men come. All dressed in robes with hoods, they come, they take out their wood and shoot."   
  
Ginny turned paled. She looked at Harry. "Oh, lord, this can't be happening!"   
  
Mr. Lazarus spoke again. "So many people dead. Some people from the village, they have their own wood and they fight the half-man. They die. I crawled away, my legs on fire. Everything hurts so bad, but I must get help. Then everything goes quiet." When he finished talking Mr. Lazarus blacked out again.   
  
Harry looked at Ginny. "We have to go get help, and get this man to a hospital. Get in the car. There's nothing else we can do." _**   
  
  
Harry shook himself from the reverie and set about trying to solve the problem that lay ahead. Draco was locked in a cell right in front of Harry, but how to get him out? Carefully, Harry tapped on the door. Draco lifted his head and looked straight at Harry, but showed no signs of recognition. Harry quickly remembered that he was wearing the invisibility cloak, and whipped it off.   
  
Draco now saw Harry Potter standing outside his cell, but it wasn't gratitude that showed up on his face. Ignoring that, Harry set to work on the lock. He went with the most basic of spells first.   
  
"Alohomora!" Harry cried and to his surprise the door swung open. Harry rushed into the prison and grabbed Draco's arm.   
  
"Come on, Draco. We have to get out of here!"   
  
"Potter, something isn't right. Where are the alarms? Where are the guards? This is too easy," Draco commented.   
  
"Never mind that now, Malfoy. If it's easy to get you out of here, then I'm thankful. Let's go, and try not to make noise."   
  
"Who put you in charge, Potter? Who do you think you are, McGyver?"   
  
"Very funny, Malfoy. I didn't know you watched muggle television."   
  
"Are we going or not?"   
  
Harry threw the invisibility cloak over them both and they snuck out of the room. It seemed that Draco Malfoy hadn't changed much since their Hogwarts days. Harry didn't feel very comfortable squashed next to Draco underneath the cloak, but he suppressed evil thoughts of leaving Draco behind. Harry had vowed years ago, that if he could stop, it no one would ever die in his presence again.   
  
  
**_"Harry, hurry, his pulse is slowing!"   
  
"Ginny," Harry said between gritted teeth, "I am driving as fast as I can. Unlike your father's, this car doesn't fly."   
  
"I just thought of something. Ron was going to the party tonight and he can Apparate. What if he just Apparated to Neville's and was killed! What will we tell Hermione?"   
  
"Ginny, I think you're overreacting. Ron is a very intelligent wizard. I'm sure he's capable of taking care of himself, and he may not have even been there."   
  
They continued driving at a blazing pace. Darkness had fallen and it was snowing again before they reached a city. Harry drove instantly to the nearest hospital with Ginny fretting the whole time. They got Mr. Lazarus checked in and to a room, then proceeded to get help for the town of True Destiny.   
  
Harry Apparated to the Ministry of Magic and reported in. The Ministry had become much less skeptical about issues concerning the Dark Arts since Minister Percy Weasley had come into office. When Harry arrived the entire Ministry was abuzz, they had just received word about the attack and sent their best Aurors to investigate.   
  
By the time they reached True Destiny all of the Death Eaters had disappeared and the Aurors were left to count the dead. There was one more to add to the list that night. Mr. Lazarus died in the hospital a few hours later of 'unknown causes'. Ginny had been by his side and later she told Harry that his last words were, "I suppose that this was my true destiny after all.' _**   
  
  
Harry grabbed Draco and steered him out of the castle. They made it out of the fortress with no problems and proceeded down the path. Once they made it to where Harry had placed the brooms, they each grabbed one and took off into the night in complete silence.   
  
Harry let out a sigh of relief when they reached his home. Dismounting from his Lightning Bolt, he opened the front door and walked into the living room. Asleep on the sofa were Hermione and Ginny, and Lisa was sitting in another chair reading a magazine, reading glasses perched on the end of her nose.   
  
"Harry! Oh, Harry, darling, you're alright! I was worried. And you found Draco!"   
  
Lisa flung herself at her husband and kissed him fiercely. Her loud welcome woke Ginny and Hermione, and the former rubbed her eyes to make sure that she was really seeing her husband.   
  
"Draco? Oh, Draco, are you alright? I was so worried about you, and I missed you so much!" Ginny kissed her husband, who seemed incapable of speech.   
  
Once everyone was comfortable and situated, Harry described the adventure.   
  
"That's it? It was that easy?" Lisa asked skeptically.   
  
"I told Potter something was wrong. It was too easy," Draco said, giving his wife's hand a squeeze.   
  
Suddenly Lisa sniffed the air.   
  
"What's wrong, Lis?" Hermione asked.   
  
Lisa's face got cold. "Harry, grab the children. We're in danger and we all have to leave right now!"   
  
A/N: Ooh, big cliffie! Mwah ha ha! Wait and see what happens! Don't forget to review! If I don't get reviews, you don't get chapter 4! (like my impression of an evil villan?)  
  
  
  
  
  



	4. On the Run

Disclaimer: I did not create Harry, Ron, Hermione, Ginny, or Draco. J.K. Rowling came up with the name Lisa Turpin, but I created her personality. Any of the other characters I created are now loose and on their own. I am not responsible for what they do when I'm not looking.  
  
A/N: hey, hey! Chapter 4! Were you all waiting for this? If I did the last chapter right then you should be.  
  
For those of you who are confused on the time frame: Harry and Lisa had dinner at Ron and Hermione's on a Saturday night. Late that evening, Ginny and Hermione show up at the Potter's. A few hours after that in the wee hours of Sunday morning, Harry rescues Draco. Then at, like, 4 am, the group leaves the Potter's and go to their destination. Also, it is summer so Elizabeth Weasley is not at Hogwarts and is available to babysit Clear?   
  
  
Chapter 4: On the Run  
  
  
"Lisa, what are you talking about?" Harry asked, bewildered.  
  
Lisa looked panicked. "I can't explain right now, you have to trust me. If we don't leave now, we are all going to be killed. Listen, we all have to Apparate out of here. Keep conversation to a minimum–the less that's said the better."  
  
No one moved. They were all stunned from Lisa's outburst. Finally, Ginny broke the silence.  
  
"I'm pregnant."  
  
Lisa looked at her incredulously. "Yes, you are. I take it to mean that you think you can't Apparate, but I'm a nurse, and I say you can. We're not going all that far, and if need be, Draco will do all of the magic involved." Lisa looked around at the black faces that stared back at her. "What are you waiting for? Let's go, Harry get the children. We don't have any time to take anything with us."  
  
Ginny and Hermione stood up and prepared to Disapparate, but Harry and Draco remained seated, their jaws hanging open.  
  
"Lisa, where are we Disapparating to?" Hermione asked.  
  
"I'm going to write it on this piece of paper, and everyone go to this location. But don't say the name out loud, it's vitally important. Harry, are you going to get Lily and James or not?"  
  
Harry stood up and faced his wife. "I don't understand why we have to leave."  
  
"I will explain everything when we reach our destination. Trust me Harry." Lisa turned to Hermione. "Herm, will you go get the children? Harry seems incapable at the moment."  
  
Hermione nodded and ran up the stairs. Lisa summoned a quill from the kitchen and scribbled a few words on some parchment.   
  
"I really shouldn't be doing magic, but things will go quicker. Here," Lisa passed the parchment around. Harry's eyebrows lifted when he read the paper, but he refrained from comment. Ginny nodded resolutely and passed the information to her husband, who grimaced.  
  
"Is this really necessary?" Draco asked petulantly.  
  
Lisa looked at him sternly. "It is if you would like to survive long enough to see your child be born." Draco was quiet after that.  
  
Hermione came back down the stairs with a child in each arm. Hermione was the children's godmother, so they felt perfectly calm in her arms. She handed James to Lisa.  
  
"Okay, don't stop anywhere else, I expect to see you all at that location in a minute. Let's Disapparate!"  
  
Within moments the five adults, and two children, vanished. There was no sound and there was no puff of smoke, but the room that had been filled with witches and wizards was now empty. That was how the Death Eaters found the room when they broke in five minutes later.  
  
* * *  
  
Ron Weasley was watching muggle television because he couldn't sleep and been up half the night worrying about his wife. An old cartoon show had just come on when the strangest thing happened. Five people just appeared in his living room.  
  
"Harry? What the–" Ron looked around at the people who had just Apparated; his eyes fell on Draco Malfoy. "Oh, it's you. What are you doing in my house?"  
  
Harry was about to speak when Lisa cut him off. "Ron, no offense intended, but we don't have time for this. Where can I put James and Lily?"  
  
Ron was speechless–for a moment. "Um, upstairs. They can sleep in the guestroom. What's going on here?"  
  
Lisa dismissed the question. "I'll explain as soon as I put my children to bed. Nobody move and don't even think of going anywhere, Draco Malfoy. I'll be down in a moment."  
  
Draco appeared offended, but he was prevented from speaking by an elbow in his stomach courtesy of his wife. Ron ignored him, and appealed to Harry and Hermione.  
  
"Harry, Herm? Would you like to explain? Have you decided to let me in on your plans?"  
  
Harry was tired of his best friend's childish attitude. "Ron, we're here because after I rescued Draco, Lisa told us that we have to Disapparate out of the house or be killed."  
  
Ron's jaw dropped. "What?"  
  
Hermione took over. "Ron, we didn't tell you that Ginny was back in England precisely because of your reaction earlier. If you can get used to the idea that Draco is now a part of your family, then we need your help. Harry went into Voldemort's fortress and rescued Draco. When they arrived back at Harry's house, Lisa sensed something was wrong and ordered us to Disapparate–to here. Are the children alright?"  
  
"Yes, they're fine. Are you alright? I was worried about you."  
  
Hermione looked surprised. "Me? Why?"  
  
Ron flushed like he always did when under pressure. "No real reason. I'm sorry for acting childishly, and if it's that important to you I will try to get along with Malfoy."  
  
"I'm sure I appreciate it, Weasley," Draco called from the other end of the room.  
  
Hermione wasn't listening to him; she had thrown her arms around her husband. "Thank you, Ron. I didn't like arguing with you."  
  
Lisa came back the stairs, sans children. "Okay, I'm sure everyone would like an explanation of why I had you leave our house so quickly."  
  
"That would be nice," Draco said obnoxiously. He got another elbow in his stomach for his troubles.  
  
"We needed to leave immediately because Voldemort placed a tracking spell on Harry and Draco."  
  
That astonishing statement was met with complete silence. It was Hermione who spoke first.  
  
"How did you know? Tracking spells are very secretive and usually hidden quite well."  
  
"It was the ease of the rescue that first tipped me off that something wasn't right. I knew it was a tracking spell because I can sense magic," Lisa answered nonchalantly.  
  
"You can sense magic? Wouldn't that drive you batty in a place like Hogwarts or Diagon Alley?" Ron asked.  
  
"I don't mean that I can sense magic people or creatures, I can sense it when a spell has been cast. At first in the Hogwarts classrooms, it was quite daunting, but it also comes in very handy. You see, Harry, you were able to get Draco out of there so easily because Voldemort was planning on following you back to the house. You flew there and that made it relatively simple for you to be followed. Someone who Apparates can't be tracked."  
  
"I can't believe it," Harry said, shaking his head. "I knew something was wrong. It was too easy.  
  
Lisa nodded. "Yes it was. I can only assume that Voldemort was planning to follow you back to the house and, shall we say, to take care of multiple enemies. The question is now, what do we do next?"  
  
Harry spoke again. "I say that Ron, Draco, and I go back to Voldemort's castle and try to free the other prisoners. Then we find out what Voldemort's up to now."  
  
That statement was met with complete outrage from the women in the room.  
  
"Why is it only the men who go?"  
  
"How exactly do you plan to accomplish this?"  
  
Lisa spoke quietly, but firmly. "Harry, you will need our help to accomplish this. You can't do it on your own and it's unfair to exclude us just because we're women."  
  
Harry sighed, this was a topic that he had been over many times with Lisa. "Lis, it isn't because you're women–"  
  
"It isn't?" Draco interrupted.  
  
Harry continued, ignoring Draco's remark. "This is Voldemort we're talking about. He is extremely dangerous and I don't want to expose you to him. All three of you are mothers or soon to be mothers. We can't put you in such danger."  
  
Hermione was livid. "This is absurd! Before I became Ron's wife, I was exposed to just as much danger as you were! I may be a mother and I love my children, but you, Harry Potter, are not going to order me to stay home and be a housewife!"  
  
"Herm," Ron attempted to pacify his wife.  
  
"No, Ron. I'm sick of this. You, Draco, and Harry, are going to listen to what we have to say. We are your wives, but we are also people. We are not 'the wives'. We are Hermione, Ginny, and Lisa. If we want to help 'the husbands' then we will. Is that clear?"  
  
Harry grasped at straws. "Who's going to stay with the children? We can't leave them alone! And what about Ginny? She's in no condition to be on a rescue mission!"  
  
"We'll hire a sitter," Lisa said sensibly. "I'm sure Elizabeth Weasley will sit for the children. We shouldn't be gone that long. And Ginny won't do any of the actual rescuing, but we may need her assistance."  
  
Ron stood up and addressed the women. "Fine. We'll all go. Why don't you go call the sitter and get ready."  
  
Hermione looked gratified and went upstairs to kiss her children goodnight, Lisa nodded and went to the kitchen, and Ginny went to get her coat. Draco and Harry, however, stared at Ron with open mouths.  
  
"I don't know about you, Weasley, but I am not letting my wife anywhere near Voldemort. He's already threatened to murder her," Draco said.  
  
Ron held a finger to his lips. "Shh! Don't let them hear you! Listen Malfoy, I have no intention of letting them come with us. Now let's Disapparate before they come back."  
  
Draco grinned. "Very sneaky, Weasley. I didn't know you had it in you. Lying to your wife, tsk tsk."  
  
Harry faced his friend. "Ron, you do realize that we will be in a lot of trouble when they find that we've left with out them, don't you?"  
  
Ron shook the question off. "Never mind about that now. They'll thank us for it later. Let's go."   
  
Without another argument the three men disappeared from the living room. Lisa came back through the swinging kitchen door a moment after they left.  
  
"Harry, Elizabeth's on her way so we should–" Lisa stopped mid-sentence. The room where the men had been was now empty. And she knew, she could sense it. They had Disapparated.  
  
"Those men are in so much trouble," Lisa muttered viciously under her breath.  
  
* * *  
  
Harry, Ron, and Draco arrived in a densely wooded area, the same wooded area that Harry first arrived in when he rescued Draco.   
  
"Okay, this is it. We just have to follow this path and it should lead us right to Voldemort. Now, I know we all have our personal issues concerning Voldemort, but this is strictly a rescue mission." Harry looked straight at Ron when he spoke. Less than a year ago, Voldemort killed one of his nephews, Percy's oldest boy, Jonathan. It was a warning to Britain's newest Minister of Magic that even his children were not safe. The loss was still fresh in the minds of every Weasley, and Harry knew that Percy had not fully recovered. Jonathan had been a favorite nephew of Ron's and Ron was extremely temperamental on any subject concerning his family's well-being (as we've already seen).  
  
"Neither of you are to attack him. If you see Voldemort you are to get out of there as quickly as possible. If we do this right, however, you won't see him. Let's go."  
  
As they walked up the path, the three men were silent. As they neared Voldemort's lair, Draco couldn't help but shudder when he thought of how close he had come to getting the Dark Mark on his arm. Ron's thoughts turned to his nephew and his brother Percy. They hadn't always gotten along, but now that Ron had children of his own, he knew that Percy must be suffering greatly. Harry thought of Voldemort and wondered, with a shiver of fear, what he was up to this time around.  
  
They neared the ominous fortress. "Here it is," Harry whispered. "It's right over–"  
  
Harry stopped in mid-sentence and stopped in mid-step causing Ron and Draco to bump into him. A surprise awaited them, a surprise that changed everything.  
  
"Where is it?" Harry asked in a panicked whisper. "Where did it go?"  
  
* * *   
  
"Well, what do we do now?"  
  
Hermione posed the question to both Ginny and Lisa. She had not been pleased to find that Harry, Ron, and Draco had disappeared without them and needless to say Ginny was pretty angry as well.   
  
"Elizabeth's on her way here anyway, so I say we go join them," Lisa said. "Harry left the map here so it shouldn't be very hard to find them."  
  
Ginny paused before speaking. "I hesitate to say this, but maybe they had a reason to leave us behind. After all, it was only a few hours ago that the two of you told me I shouldn't go to rescue Draco because I'm pregnant. And what about your children."  
  
"Ginny does have a point," Hermione said to Lisa. "I'm not sure that I'm comfortable leaving the children alone with Voldemort out there."  
  
Lisa nodded thoughtfully. "I understand, I'm hesitant to leave Lily and James as well. But what do we do about our husbands?"  
  
"Since Elizabeth's on her way here already, let's go get 'the husbands' and come back here. We'll only be gone for a short time," Ginny suggested.  
  
Lisa and Hermione agreed with this new plan. As soon as Elizabeth arrived and Hermione and Lisa said goodbye to their children, the three women Disapparated to the place on the map. When they arrived, everything was silent. It was an ominous place, not a bird twittered nor an insect buzzed. The forest was still. They walked a ways up a path that was formed in the middle of the dense underbrush.  
  
When they reached the edge of the wood, they saw their husbands who were walking in circles and talking rapidly. Hermione, Ginny, and Lisa approached slowly.  
  
"Hello, boys."  
  
The reaction was amusing. All three men jumped at the sound of Ginny's voice. Harry, who was standing, stumbled and fell over; Draco turned around so quickly that it made him dizzy; Ron, the only one sitting down, turned his head so far around that he resembled an owl.  
  
"What are you three doing here?" Harry exclaimed.  
  
"We came looking for you," Lisa said, smiling. "Um, isn't there supposed to be a castle here?"  
  
"It disappeared," Draco said with a trace of his old drawl.  
  
"What?" Ginny asked.  
  
"It wasn't here when we came. We've searched the entire area and still nothing. It's like Voldemort just picked up the place and moved it." Harry ran his fingers through his messy hair.  
  
"Well, if it isn't here, then we might as well go home. We can decide what to do from there," Lisa said as she looked around.  
  
Ron seemed reluctant to get up. "What if we miss an important clue?"  
  
Hermione looked across the large, empty clearing. "I doubt that we're missing anything. Let's go back to our house. I want to see how the children are."  
  
Ron smiled. "I do too. Let's go."  
  
The six adults Disapparated in pairs and arrived in the livingroom. It looked as though it had been hit with a tornado. All of the little knick-knacks that had been on the mantle were broken and crushed into little pieces, many of Harry's papers were strewn around the room, and someone had ripped apart the sofa cushions. Ginny let out a little scream when she saw Elizabeth Weasley unconscious on the floor.  
  
Lisa rushed to her side and felt for a pulse. "She's alive. Ennervate!"  
  
Elizabeth sat up rubbing her head. She looked around and saw all of the adults looking down at her with concern. Then she burst into tears.  
  
"Lizzie," Ron said kindly, "what happened? Did you throw some sort of wild party?"  
  
Elizabeth appealed to Harry. She couldn't look her aunts or uncles in the eyes. "Oh, Mr. Potter, I'm so sorry! I don't know how it happened!" Elizabeth sobbed harder.  
  
Harry looked at her with concern. "Elizabeth, what happened?"  
  
Elizabeth stared at her feet as tears ran down her cheeks. "I was just sitting down here reading a book, the children were all in bed, and then they broke in!" She appealed to her uncle. "Oh, Uncle Ron, I'm so sorry! They Stunned me before I could even take out my wand! I woke up just long enough to see what they took before passing out again!"  
  
Harry felt the apprehension rising up his throat. "Elizabeth, what did they take?"  
  
Elizabeth looked at him, her eyes filled with tears. "Oh, Uncle Harry," she relapsed a moment and called Harry by the name she had used as a small child, before going through her 'mature' phase. "They took the children, Lily, James, Geoffrey, and David! They're all gone!"  
  
Hermione and Lisa paled. "No!" they said in unison before running upstairs.  
  
Ginny sat down heavily on the sofa and Draco sat down next to her, holding her hand. Harry and Ron were in a state of shock, but Ron managed to ask what had actually occurred.  
  
Elizabeth spoke, her voice wavering. "I was reading when I heard this crash at the front door. Five wizards, or witches, burst through and four of them ran up the stairs. Before I could register what had happened, the remaining wizard Stunned me. When I came to, I wandered up the stairs with a very large headache and saw that the beds were empty! I stumbled back down here and passed out. Oh, I am so sorry, I don't know what to say!"  
  
Harry put a comforting arm around the girl. "It's not your fault, Elizabeth. There was nothing that an unarmed fourteen year old witch could have done against so many. I just want to know how they got in. We weren't gone that long, they must have been waiting and watching."  
  
Lisa and Hermione came down the stairs, supporting one another. Tears were pouring down their faces and Lisa was holding something in her hand.  
  
"Elizabeth's right, they're gone," Lisa said with a melancholy tone. "There was no note or anything. All that was on the bed was this."  
  
In her outstretched hand, Lisa held a single blood-red rose.  
  
  
A/N: By the by, just in case you were wondering, by the end of this chapter it was mid morning on Sunday. So what did you think? Please write a review, I love to hear from you! 


	5. M.A.T.D.A.

Disclaimer: I dis-claim ownership of Harry Potter. Are you satisfied?  
  
A/N: Another cliffhanger in the previous chapter. I'm getting good at those, and rest assured, there will be more! This chapter has been upgraded to a PG13 for mild cursing. I'm sure you can understand that it's a very stressful situation and tempers are short.  
  
Here's some of those hurt feelings I promised you, and a few flashbacks because I wanted to explain a few things to you. Just like before anything in **_bold italics_** is a flashback  
  
  
Chapter 5: M.A.T.D.A.  
  
  
The six adults were in turmoil. Elizabeth had been sent home and Lisa and Hermione continued to sob. Harry and Ron were pacing back and forth across the room. Only Ginny and Draco managed to stay calm, but they were gripping each other's hands tightly.   
  
"I don't get it," Harry said finally. He was holding the rose Lisa found in a magical container to preserve any traces of evidence. "This doesn't seem like Voldemort and this rose, this can't be from him."  
  
Lisa looked up at her husband through her tears. "Harry? Do you think that maybe we should go to MATDA? If anyone could help us find our children, they can."  
  
"What's MATDA?" Ginny asked softly.  
  
"It stands for Magic Against The Dark Arts. It's a small organization that's devoted to stopping the Voldemort and his followers. They know everything that goes on in the Black side of magic. Dumbledore himself is a member," Harry said. "Lisa's right. If we want to find our children then we should ask them."  
  
"What are we waiting for then?" Draco demanded.  
  
"We'll have to take Floo powder. No one is permitted to Apparate in, even their own members," Harry appealed to Ron. He missed the look that passed between Ron and Hermione.  
  
"I'll go get it," Ron said.  
  
"Hurry."  
  
The remaining five adults sat in an uncomfortable silence. Hermione was still crying, but Lisa had stopped once she was past the initial shock. She put her arm around Hermione and tried to comfort her, but Hermione refused to be comforted.  
  
"I am a terrible mother."  
  
Lisa shook her head. "Hermione, this is not your fault, this isn't my fault or the boys' fault. You are not a terrible mother. If you love your children then you are a good mother."  
  
Ginny voiced an opinion. "We will get them back, Herm. I promise."  
  
Harry couldn't take it any longer. "Where's Ron? Our children are out there somewhere and they could be in danger!"  
  
"Harry!" Lisa said sharply. "Sit down, this isn't helping."  
  
Harry turned to her and stared at her with a look Lisa had never seen before.  
  
"For once in your life stop acting like a nurse! Aren't you even upset? These are your children too, damn it! Am I the only one who cares that they've been kidnaped by an evil wizard and are now God knows where? Damn it, Lisa, don't tell me to sit down!"  
  
The others in the room watched the scene unfold with a tremor of fear. Hermione couldn't remember the last time that Harry and Lisa had fought. Ginny had one hand over her mouth and Draco watched Lisa intently for a reaction.  
  
"Harry," Lisa said fiercely. "I love my children, I always have and I always will! I can't believe you think I am that heartless! I have to act like this because if for one moment I stop, then I will break down and I don't know if I can pull myself together!" She practically screamed the last part at Harry. Then she trembled and stuttered. "I, I, I can't do this, Harry. I need my children, I want my children, I..." Lisa started to cry and Harry moved towards her, taking her in his arms.  
  
"Lisa, I'm so sorry. I can't believe I said those things. I love you."  
  
But Lisa pulled away from his embrace. "No!" she screamed. "Stay away from me. Don't touch me, I don't deserve to be loved!"  
  
In any other situation, out of any other mouth, that statement would have been funny. Coming from Lisa however it was disturbing and Harry was shocked. He watched in a daze as Lisa sank, sobbing, onto the sofa next to Hermione, her head buried in the pillows. Ron chose that moment to reenter the livingroom.   
  
"I have it," Ron said. He paused as he caught sight of Harry, standing in the middle of the room with shock on his face, and Lisa saturating the sofa cushions with her tears. "What happened?"  
  
Hermione shook her head at him as she stroked Lisa's hair. "Not now, Ron. Do you have the Floo powder?"  
  
"Yes," Ron said, distracted. "It's right here."  
  
"Good. Harry, lead the way."  
  
Harry was still preoccupied with the fact that his wife had refused to let him apologize. How could he have said those things? He loved her, and they rarely fought. Harry and Lisa had a wonderful marriage. Like he had told Hermione before, they had their share of arguments, but he always remembered the girl he ran into that day six years ago, right before he had to face Voldemort in that terrible battle. She had made life worth fighting for, and when they had Lily, Harry finally understood why people had families. They made living worthwhile. Now his children were missing and his wife was hurt and upset. What could he do to change that? Would anything ever be right again?  
  
  
**_Harry James Potter was bored. On top of that he was hungry and tired. He had just come from a long day of training and it had taken it's toll on him. All he wanted was to go into the Leaky Cauldron, get something to eat and drink, and then go home. Ron and Hermione were having another one of their 'anniversary' dinners, so Harry was on his own that night. What they were celebrating this time, Harry didn't know. It always seemed to be the anniversary of something with those two.  
  
Harry came out of Diagon Alley into the now familiar courtyard of The Leaky Cauldron. Pushing open the back door, Harry made his way through to the front of the pub. He plopped himself down onto one of the stools and spoke to the old bartender who had worked at the Cauldron for as long as Harry could remember.  
  
"A butterbeer, Tom, and a corned beef sandwich."  
  
"I'm sorry, Harry," It had taken a lot of convincing to get Tom to call him Harry, "but the Cauldron is closed right now. Business has been rather slow, what with You-Know-Who lurking ever closer."  
  
Harry understood, but it didn't make him any less disappointed. "I understand, Tom. I suppose I can go to a muggle restaurant. There's just nothing like a butterbeer on a dull afternoon."  
  
"I'm sorry, Harry. I'll see you soon."  
  
Harry nodded, pulled his coat tighter around his lean frame, and started for the door. As he stepped outside onto the streets of London, he collided with someone. He stood up and started making apologies.   
  
"I'm terribly sorry, I suppose I wasn't looking where I was going. My name is Harry–" Harry stopped when he got a good look at the person he bumped into. It was a woman who looked about his age. She had long, straight brown hair and thin wire frame glasses that were slipping down her nose. Her most striking features, however, were her eyes. They were bright blue and seemed to pierce through his entire body, making Harry feel as though she could see right through him. She looked familiar, too. When she noticed his stare, the girl gave him a friendly smile.  
  
"I'm terribly sorry as well. I think it's these confounded glasses. I'm only supposed to wear them for reading, but then I forget to take them off and..." She waved her hand as she trailed off. "I'm sorry, you must think me a complete nitwit! My name's Lisa Turpin, what's yours?" Lisa stuck out her hand for him to shake which he did.  
  
"I'm Harry Potter." By now Harry was so used to having people gasp at his name that he decided to say it clearly and get the staring over with. To his surprise, Lisa neither gasped nor stared.  
  
"Harry Potter, now where have I heard that name before?" she mused as she perched her glasses atop her head. "Oh! Of course, we went to school together. Hogwarts! Dear old Hogwarts."  
  
Now that she had named it, Harry remembered seeing her before too. Lisa had been a Ravenclaw in his year. He really hadn't known her, but she had been friends with Cho Chang who he had dated for awhile.   
  
"Right, now I remember you, Lisa. You were in Ravenclaw."   
  
The corners of Lisa's mouth curved up in a smile. "That's correct, and you, of course, were in Gryffindor. I'm surprised you remember me at all, we didn't exactly run in the same circles. Well, it has been nice running into you, Harry, but I really must be going. I'm late for a class."   
  
It wasn't until then that Harry realized that Lisa had been carrying books when he had collided with her. He bent down to pick them up for her and noticed that all of the titles had something to do with magic medicine.  
  
"Are you studying to become a doctor?" Harry asked.  
  
Lisa blushed slightly. "No, I'm going to become a nurse. I'm almost finished with my training. What do you do, Harry?"  
  
"I'm training to become an Auror. Um, I was wondering, this may seem kind of sudden, but would you like to maybe have lunch sometime? It's not often I meet someone who doesn't pre-idolize me, it's rather refreshing."  
  
Lisa smiled. "Actually, I would like too. Listen, I'm already late for my class, so I might as well miss the rest. Why don't we go get some dinner and I can find out what the famous Harry Potter has been up to the past three years."  
  
Harry agreed and they went to a small little restaurant in London. They had a very nice time and the rest was history._**  
  
  
Harry stepped towards the fire with Floo powder in his hand. He threw it on the magical fire and the flames turned emerald green. He would have to talk to Lisa later, the most important thing was finding the children. Entering the flames, Harry called out:  
  
"MATDA!"  
  
* * *  
  
When the six adults traveled through the flames, they found themselves in a large white room. The fireplace made of green glass melted away as soon as Draco stepped through and joined the others. They took a look around and were confused by their surroundings.  
  
The Potters, Weasleys, and Malfoys had stepped into a room the size of a football field. It was entirely white; the floor, walls, and ceiling were indistinguishable from one another. In fact, the room seemed to stretch on forever in all directions. In the distance they could see a green dot signifying that some object was there, though it was too far away to know what.  
  
"This is it?" Ginny asked with disappointment clearly in her voice. "This is MATDA?"  
  
"No," Harry answered. "This is just the waiting room. You don't think they'd let just anyone into MATDA do you? No, the Floo network takes you here and then the secretary will determine whether or not we are allowed in."  
  
"Well, where's this secretary?" Draco asked impatiently.  
  
"You see that green dot down there?" Everyone except Lisa nodded. "That's her desk. Let's go."  
  
They trooped down towards the little green dot which grew steadily larger as they approached. The dot turned out to be a receptionist's desk made out of glowing green glass. It stretched across the middle of the room, but still didn't touch the walls. Sitting behind the desk was the secretary, a tiny woman with her hair in a ridiculously dated beehive hairstyle. She was chomping away on some gum as she talked on a telephone headset, and to judge by the bluebell colored bubbles floating around she was chomping on some Drooble's Best Blowing Gum.   
  
She didn't look up as they approached and Harry had to rap on the desk with his knuckles to grab her attention. She looked up in surprise, but then she seemed to recognize who she was looking at.  
  
"Why, Mr. Potter! How are ya?" the receptionist exclaimed. "Is that your wife I see?"   
  
Harry didn't smile, but he responded. "I'm fine, Shirley. Could you please let the Chancellors know that Harry Potter, Lisa Potter, Ron Weasley, Hermione Weasley, Draco Malfoy, and Ginny Malfoy are here? We have urgent business."  
  
It wasn't until Harry introduced them that Shirley noticed the rest of the solemn entourage that had accompanied him. She took one look at the suffering that was plainly etched on Lisa's face and knew that something was really wrong. She made the call and cast the spell.  
  
"Chancellors? Harry Potter is here, along with–" She didn't finish. "Uh huh, yes, that's right. Okay. Will do!" Shirley waved her wand and whatever spell she had cast disappeared. "Okay, Mr. Potter, you may go in."  
  
"Um," Ginny hesitated, "exactly how would we do that?"  
  
Shirley smacked her head in mock-confusion. "Silly me! Everyone please take a step back." The six adults stepped backwards, though they didn't see what good it would do. "Okay, please enjoy your time here at MATDA." She lifted her wand and waved it over them. Before any of them could utter a word, a green bubble had encased them and the floor gave way beneath them. They floated down into another room, but they were decelerating quickly. When they landed the bubble disappeared and they found themselves in what appeared to be an ordinary conference room. It was sparsely furnished, with a long oval table and twelve cushy chairs which surrounded it.  
  
"Take a seat," Harry said in a monotone. "They should be in soon."  
  
"Harry, who's they?" Hermione speaking for the first time since they left her house.  
  
"The Chancellors of MATDA. I think you'll recognize them, they're good friends."  
  
The six adults sat and waited. Then they waited some more. Hermione had her face buried in Ron's shoulder and he put his arm around her, Ginny and Draco were sitting side by side, holding each others hand so tightly Harry was sure that they were going to pop a blood vessel. Lisa had opted to sit on the other end of the table and stared at the floor. Harry stood up and began to pace again. He was relieved when he heard the door creak open.  
  
"Well, look who we have here, Padfoot!"  
  
"Sirius, Professor Lupin?" Ginny asked incredulously. "You two are the Chancellors?"  
  
Sirius Black and Remus Lupin hadn't changed much in the past ten years. The only evidence of their aging was their slightly greying hair. Remus looked tired as usual and everyone assumed he had just recovered from a full moon. Sirius' eyes sparkled and Remus had a warm and friendly smile on his face. No one could tell by looking at them that they were in their mid-forties; once a Marauder, always a Marauder and it added a youthful countenance to their features.  
  
Remus Lupin turned to his friend from their school days. "Why is it that they can call you Sirius, but they can't call me Remus?"  
  
Sirius shrugged. "I don't know, Moony." Sirius turned to look at the six adults. "What are you lot doing here? Not that we're not pleased to see you," he added quickly.  
  
Remus looked around the room and his eyes fell on Draco Malfoy who shrank away from his gaze.  
  
"Harry, would you like to explain his presence?" Remus asked quietly.  
  
Before Harry could answer, Ginny spoke. "He's my husband, and I assure you, Profess–er–Remus, he is not working for Voldemort. He has renounced the Dark Arts."  
  
Both Sirius and Remus looked to Harry for confirmation. He nodded and they breathed a sigh of relief.   
  
"Good, I was worried that you had breached protocol," Sirius said. "Now, I know you, Harry, and I know that you wouldn't waste our valuable time with chitchat, so what are you doing here?"  
  
Harry breathed deeply and began his story. "Our children have been kidnaped."  
  
Harry went on to explain everything that had occurred, from Draco's disappearance to the rose that Lisa had found. When he finished, he pulled the rose in it's container out of his robes and gave it to Remus. Remus examined it and then handed it to Sirius who gave it a once-over himself. Then they glanced at each other. It looked like they were debating amongst themselves whether or not to explain.  
  
"Well? Do you know who took our children?" Lisa asked, speaking for the first time since her breakdown at the Weasley's.  
  
Sirius looked at Remus. "What do you think, Moony? Are you thinking what I'm thinking?"  
  
"I think so, Padfoot."  
  
"Who the bloody hell took our children, already!" Harry shouted unable to control himself.  
  
"Should we tell them?" Remus asked Sirius.  
  
"I think so. It's their children who were kidnaped."  
  
Remus and Sirius turned towards the others who were straining with anticipation. They sighed collectively.  
  
"Well, tell us already!" Ron shouted. "Who took our children?"  
  
Remus and Sirius looked Harry and Ron in the eyes. "Lucretia."  
  
"Who's Lucretia?" Hermione asked while at the same time Lisa asked, "You mean, Voldemort didn't take our children?"  
  
"No, Voldemort doesn't have your children and Lucretia is, well..." Sirius trailed off.  
  
"This is serious, Padfoot. If Lucretia is now kidnaping children, who knows what she's doing with them. Maybe we'd better call in Mills and Levine," Remus said.  
  
"Do we have to?" Sirius asked. If Harry hadn't known better he would have said that Sirius whined.  
  
"Who are Mills and Levine?" Ginny queried.   
  
"They're Lucretia specialists," Remus replied. "They also happen to be in love with our friend Sirius here."  
  
"Lucretia specialists?" Harry repeated while Draco snickered at the thought of two women in love with Sirius.  
  
"Yes. They know everything that is possible to know about her. She's their specialty. If anyone can help you find your children, they can. Come on, Padfoot, you know it's for the best."  
  
"Well," Sirius thought for a moment, "just give me time to get away."  
  
Remus nodded and Sirius said goodbye to everyone. He handed the rose back to Harry on his way out. When he left Remus opened a panel on the wall revealing a map of MATDA. It appeared to have the name of everyone who worked there along with a dot on it and the dots were moving around. It reminded Harry, Ron, and Hermione of the Marauder's Map and remembering who the Chancellors were, they figured that it was probably very similar to the Marauder's Map. Remus pulled out his wand and tapped two dots labeled J. Mills and M. Levine. They were summoned to the conference room.  
  
They arrived shortly and Remus opened the door for them to enter. Remus introduced them to the rest of the group.  
  
"Everyone, I'd like you to meet Dr. Jeanette Mills and Inspector Meredith Levine, our Lucretia specialists. Ladies, this is Lisa Potter, Hermione Weasley, Ron Weasley, Ginny Malfoy, Draco Malfoy, and Harry Potter."  
  
As soon as Remus announced his name, both women turned to stare at him. Harry, being used to this, sighed and hoped they would be done soon. Neither of them spoke but they exchanged a glance.  
  
"Harry Potter," Dr. Mills said softly. "We've heard so much about you."  
  
Harry smiled, relieved that they weren't asking questions. They went around the table shaking hands which gave Harry time to study the two mysterious women. They seemed to be about Sirius and Remus' age, but it was difficult to tell. They were both of average height, about the same size as Hermione which was considerably shorter than Ron and even shorter than Harry who had grown a lot since his Hogwarts days. That was where the resemblance between them ended.  
  
Inspector Levine had dark brown shoulder-length hair which she was currently wearing down. Her eyes were also dark brown and she had medium-tan skin. She was wearing purple robes and appeared to have a peace sign around her neck along with some colorful beads. She wasn't wearing a badge that Harry could see.  
  
Dr. Mills had honey-brown hair that was slightly graying up in a pony-tail and held back with a couple of clips. She had hazel colored eyes and a friendly smile. She was wearing blue robes and a necklace with a dolphin charm. Over her blue robes she was wearing a white lab coat which gave her a very 'doctorish' look.  
  
They looked normal enough for women who were supposedly in love with Sirius. Harry assumed that Remus had exaggerated.  
  
"Okay, Chief, what's wrong?" Inspector Levine asked Remus.  
  
"I'll let them tell you," Remus said gesturing to the others.  
  
Harry was the designated leader for the others so he told the two women what had happened. When he finished they exchanged another glance.  
  
"So," Harry pressed, "who is this Lucretia woman and what do we have to do to get our children back? Inspector Levine? Dr. Mills?"  
  
Inspector Levine responded first with a smile. "Please Harry, you needn't be so formal. Call me Meredith."  
  
"And you may call me Jeanette. Well, Meredith, where shall we begin?"  
  
Meredith took a deep breath before launching into her narrative. "Lucretia is the nom de guerre of one of the most evil dark witches to ever exist. I know that you have heard of many dark wizards who existed over the past centuries, but few dark witches. There is a reason for this."  
  
"Women don't have what it takes to be truly evil?" Draco suggested.  
  
Jeanette fixed him with a cold stare. "If you keep up that attitude, Draco, was it? If you keep up that attitude, Draco, I guarantee you will find yourself very dead. There are many dangerous witches out there and that is our specialty. Meredith and I run the Department of Dark Witches Study here at MATDA. Currently we are focusing our energy on the woman known as Lucretia."  
  
"As I was saying before," Meredith continued, "there are few evil witches known, though there have been many in existence. The reason for this is that in the History books, women slip through the cracks. Lucretia is an exception. Following her trail of activities, we have reason to believe that she will soon be as well known as Voldemort and will rival his power."  
  
"But who is she?" Hermione persisted.  
  
Jeanette took over. "Let me give you her background, such as we know it. This is everything about her and her modus operandi that we know so far. Lucretia is a pseudonym, we are unaware of her real name. We believe that she took that particular name because of the Italian poisoner Lucretia Borgia. Our Lucretia is a poisoner as well; that is her main form of killing. Unlike Voldemort she refuses to use Avada Kedavra. She prefers to see her victims, or at least know that her victims are, suffering until the end rather than receiving a swift and painless death. In that respect, she is more ruthless than Voldemort."  
  
Meredith continued. "This is what we know about her background: when she was younger and Voldemort was at the height of his power, about five years before his 'downfall', Lucretia fell in love with him. She had known him when they were children and had tried to join his ranks as a Death Eater. The problem was that Voldemort didn't let many women into his inner circle. From what we have learned from spies, Lucretia was the closest thing to love that Voldemort ever had. However when it became apparent that she only wanted him for his power, he cast her aside. Lucretia was outraged and vowed revenge. She spent many years learning the Dark Arts and used spells and enchantments she stole from him to build her power. She has been biding her time for she is a patient woman, but recently she has started to kill more and more."  
  
"She must be quite old then," Ron said, "to have been in school with Voldemort."  
  
Jeanette nodded. "True, but like Voldemort, whom she stole power from, she cannot be killed easily. She has also enacted spells that retain her youthful beauty so that her appearance is misleading. Probably the most damning of all is that she spends most of her time in an alternate universe in which time does not flow the same as it does here. There, she is protected even more because that is where her power is located. There are only two ways to stop her, or at least hinder her. One, destroy her power core, but for that you would have to get into the other universe and find it. Or two, defeat her here where she is somewhat weaker."  
  
"We don't know for sure that it is Lucretia that has our children though," Lisa said. "Remus and Sirius just think that she does."  
  
Meredith looked thoughtful. "I heard you mention a red rose in your story. Do you have it?"  
  
Harry took it out of his robes and handed it to her. She looked at it and passed to Jeanette who gave it back to Harry. Meredith spoke quietly and thoughtfully.  
  
"A single blood-red rose. That, everyone, is her mark. Everywhere she kills or causes destruction she leaves a red rose behind. It's sort of her Dark Mark. I'm not exactly sure how that came to be her symbol, but her followers are called the Followers of the Fleur Rouge or the Red Flower. It's a society mostly for women interested in the Dark Arts that weren't allowed into Voldemort's group, but there are quite a few men, too."  
  
Jeanette had been staring off into space, but she snapped her head suddenly to look at the six adults.   
  
"Did any of you touch the rose?" she asked sharply.  
  
"I put it in the container after Lisa brought it down," Harry said.   
  
All eyes turned to Lisa. She paled and stuttered slightly. "I picked it up when I found it, yes. What else was I to do? I wasn't really thinking straight."  
  
"Well, think carefully now, Lisa. Did you prick yourself on any of the thorns?" Jeanette asked with a worried expression.  
  
Lisa thought. "I think I did, they were rather sharp and long. Why? What's wrong?"  
  
Jeanette shook her head. "This isn't good. This is definitely not good. Assuming this rose was from Lucretia, it was most likely poisoned. Others have been found with a rare form of nightshade in their blood, the same poison that was found on the flower. Wizards know it as Ephemeralia, meaning short-lived. It's a rare magical poison that is untraceable to muggles, they can't find it. If Lisa pricked herself on those thorns then she probably absorbed it through her skin."  
  
"What does that mean?" Harry asked, a shiver of fear running down his spine.  
  
"It means," Jeanette said with a sigh, "that if Lisa did absorb it, and we should do some tests right away, she has approximately forty-eight hours to live."  
  
The room was silent. So silent that you could hear a pin drop. Lisa immediately stood up and walked towards Jeanette.  
  
"Let's have the tests done and then I want you to tell me everything you know about this poison."  
  
Jeanette nodded and they left the room. Harry stood up and tried to follow them, but Remus blocked his path.  
  
"Harry, we have excellent facilities here for this type of thing. I assure you, Jeanette is one of the best medi-magic doctors I have ever seen. Lisa will be perfectly safe with her. Right now your main priority had to be with finding your children before Lucretia can harm them. Now, do you have any idea what she wants?"  
  
Harry struggled for a moment, but then shrugged half-heartedly. "I dunno. Me?"  
  
"Awfully conceited of you, eh, Potter?" Draco said with a smirk. Ginny slapped him.  
  
Meredith interrupted. "Listen, we have to find Lucretia. She's not a fool, it's not going to be easy. We have tracked her to her last known hideaway, but that was a few days ago and I doubt that she's still there. However, she might have left a clue as to her next whereabouts. We should leave immediately."  
  
Harry sat down with a heavy thud in the nearest chair just as the others stood up. "You go on ahead. I'll wait with Lisa."  
  
Ron was about to argue, but Hermione stopped him. "If that's what you want, Harry," she said quietly.  
  
"Yes, go on. I'll be fine."  
  
They were about to go when the door creaked open. Harry hoped that it was Lisa and that she was alright, but he realized that it was too soon. Instead, Sirius waltzed through the door.  
  
"Is the coast clear, Moony?" he asked cheerfully before he caught sight of Meredith. "Oops. I'll be going now."  
  
"Nonsense, Sirius!" Meredith exclaimed. "You must come with us and find the children."  
  
"Uh, well, you see, I--" Sirius babbled.   
  
Remus cut him off. "He can't, Meredith. He has to stay here with Harry. Right, Sirius?"  
  
Sirius gladly took this way out. "Uh, right!"  
  
"Come on all, let's go." Remus herded them out of the conference room. Meredith cast one last look at Sirius and waved goodbye before the door closed. Sirius breathed a sigh of relief and sat down next to Harry.  
  
"See what I mean? They're absolutely raving mad about me! I'm lucky Jeanette wasn't here. Where was she anyway? And where's Lisa? Harry, what's wrong?"  
  
To his surprise Harry started to cry and threw himself on his godfather. "Oh, Sirius!"  
  
Sirius was startled, but he just sat there and patted Harry awkwardly on the back until Harry was ready to talk.  
  
  
  
A/N: What did you think? Was that a cliffhanger? Please review! I don't think I'll post the next chapter until I have at least twenty reviews! So there. And for the thanks to those who did review so far (in alphabetical order):  
  
**Emily**: thanks for reviewing, I'm glad that you like my story so much!  
**KE Heyduk**: I'm glad you like it. Yeah, I'm pretty much a D/G shipper (I don't know why) but, and don't kill me, I really don't think that Harry and Ginny belong together. I still read those fics, but...  
**laureli**: sorry, dialogue is my specialty. I've tried with the descriptions so tell me how I've done!   
**Meredith**: glad you like it Mere and you're right the rose is very important! :-) Did you notice you're in this chapter? Hmm, how did that happen?  
**Narcissus Medjai**: what exactly don't you get? Could you explain?  
**ramblergirl**: sorry you didn't like the part about 'fainting gracefully' I thought it fit. I hope this chapter was interesting enough for you!  
**roze-chan**: It sure does, I try. :-)  
**violet**: I'm glad you love it so, please keep reading and reviewing!  



	6. Poisoner

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. If I did then I would be J.K. Rowling and I would be famous. But I'm not. Oh well.  
  
A/N: Wow. Sorry it took so long to write, but I think it's pretty good. What with ff.net's screwiness right now, it probably doesn't much matter. But for those of you who were waiting, here it is!  
  
  
Chapter 6: Poisoner  
  
  
Harry didn't know how long he sat in the conference room waiting for news of Lisa. All he knew was that Sirius waited with him and they sat in silence. The seconds stretched to minutes and an hour went by before the door creaked open. Harry leapt out of his seat, but it was not his wife who opened the door. It was Jeanette.  
  
"Harry," Jeanette said, her voice heavy with emotion, "I hate to sound so cliche, but there is good news and bad news."  
  
Harry rung his hands. "Is Lisa alright?"  
  
"It appears that Lisa does have Ephemeralia in her blood and a large amount as well."  
  
Harry went pale. "What's the good news?"  
  
"Well," Jeanette glanced at Sirius in hesitation, "she has more than forty-eight hours to live. Unfortunately it's only seventy-two hours."  
  
Harry wasn't sure what to say. "You mean, we only have three days to find a cure?"  
  
Jeanette looked like she was about to cry. "That's just it, Harry, we don't know of a cure. In fact, we're not sure there is one. Right now we have Lisa under surveillance in our hospital ward. She will be watched by many doctors including myself and she will receive the best care." Jeanette hesitated for a moment. "Would you like to see her?"  
  
Harry nodded and appealed to Sirius, but he shook his head.  
  
"Sorry, Harry, but I have work to do. If I don't, then the world is likely to collapse." Sirius tried to make light of it, but Harry wasn't laughing. Sirius had been pardoned after the huge battle Harry had fought with Voldemort and they found Peter Pettigrew's tortured, mangled body amidst the ruins. Sirius and Remus, under the supervision of Dumbledore, had come together and created MATDA. Unfortunately, still after all these years many people distrusted or were afraid of Sirius, particularly those who didn't know about MATDA.  
  
Harry didn't listen to Sirius. He simply followed Jeanette out of the conference room and to another part of MATDA he had never been. On the way, Jeanette explained a few things.  
  
"Lisa is in a private room. Since you are her husband we will allow you special visiting rights. As of now, because the poison hasn't completely mixed with her blood, Lisa is fully conscious and alert. However, as the hours pass this will no longer be true. Do not be alarmed if she becomes delirious or unfocused. Just try to be there for her. We would like to keep her on round-the-clock surveillance, but if you wish to have a private conversation we will turn off the Sonorus charm."  
  
Harry nodded and they walked through large double doors with a sign above.  
  
HOSPITAL WARD– Poison Wing  
  
M.A.T.D.A.  
  
Harry took a deep breath and entered his wife's room. It was white like the rest of the ward, Harry supposed that was for sterility. Lisa was lying in a hospital bed looking very weak and pale. The room was empty and the only light came from a single bay window on the opposite wall. Harry approached the bed quietly. It looked as though Lisa was taking a nap and he didn't want to disturb her. Instead he just watched her.  
  
'She is so beautiful,' Harry thought. Lisa might never win a beauty contest but she had a certain special something. It had to be the eyes, though they were currently closed. Her piercing blue eyes reminded Harry of Dumbledore's though his didn't have the beautiful brown lashes framing them. Lisa stirred and opened her eyes. She looked at Harry and smiled a genuine smile. Harry nearly leapt with joy to see that smile.  
  
"Harry," she murmured, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to be so horrible. I was a complete nitwit, wasn't I?"  
  
Her use of that particular word told Harry that she had been thinking of the day they met as well.  
  
"No, you weren't. I've been the terrible one and I'm sorry. We'll get them back, I promise."  
  
"That's good." When she spoke again, Lisa sounded like a little girl who's lost her puppy. "I would like to see my babies again before I–"  
  
Harry cut her off. "Don't say it," he commanded. "It's not going to happen, we're going to beat this. We have to beat this."  
  
"Tell Hermione that she needs to do what we talked about. She'll understand." Lisa yawned. "I'm so tired. I want to sleep."  
  
"You just slept, Lis. Tell me, how do you feel?"  
  
"Did I? Oh, yes, of course. I feel alright, but I'm very scared. I don't want to lose you or the children, Harry. I'm very sorry."  
  
Harry ran his fingers through his hair absentmindedly. "I've already told you that I forgive you. None of this is your fault."  
  
"But you don't know," She yawned, "you don't know what I've done."  
  
"It doesn't matter. What ever you've done, I still love you."  
  
Lisa didn't hear him; she was already asleep. Harry briefly wondered what it was that she felt so guilty about, but then shook his head. It didn't matter. He pulled his chair closer to her bed and sat there. He didn't move a muscle until she awoke again.  
  
* * *  
  
"Meredith, where are we?"  
  
Ginny's question had voiced everyone's concern. It seemed as though Inspector Levine was leading them in circles.   
  
"Don't worry," Meredith replied cheerfully, "we're almost there."  
  
Ron shivered. It was a cold and drafty day, and the sky seemed to reflect the mood of the crowd. It was dark gray and overcast, the clouds were heavy with water and Ron knew that it would start raining any moment. He didn't care. All that mattered was finding his children. Subconsciously he squeezed his wife's hand. She smiled and squeezed back.  
  
"Do you think that Lisa will be alright?" Hermione whispered in his ear.  
  
Lisa! He had nearly forgotten that she was lying back at MATDA with her blood full of poison. He knew that it was terrible not to be thinking of her, but he was more concerned about his children. Though he had never said anything to Harry, Ron sometimes didn't like Lisa very much. There was something about her, maybe it was her eyes, but something about her made him uncomfortable. But she was his best friend's wife and therefore he always acted civil around her. Most of the time, he genuinely liked her, but sometimes...  
  
  
**_It had been early on in their marriages, about a year before Lily and Geoffrey had been born. Harry had come over to his house in the middle of the night looking as though he had just been hit by the Knight Bus.  
  
"Harry?" Ron asked in a daze. "What are you doing here this late?"  
  
"Is Hermione awake?" were the first words out of Harry's mouth.  
  
"No, at least I don't think so. What's wrong, you look awful!"  
  
"I need to talk to you."   
  
Ron stepped back and Harry walked through the doorway. This was another thing that told Ron something was seriously wrong. Usually Harry would Apparate over; he must have been walking the streets until his feet led him to Ron's door. They walked into the living room together.  
  
It was decorated differently in those days. There weren't any pictures of children adorning the mantle and the furniture had been a combination of things from their parents. A few wizard portraits were snoring in their frames along the wall, but that was the extent of decorations.   
  
"I think that Lisa may be having an affair."  
  
Ron's mouth dropped open as Harry dropped this bombshell. "What?!"  
  
"I'm worried, Ron."  
  
"Why would you think she's been unfaithful to you?"  
  
"I've found things around the house, things I know aren't mine. I don't think that they could be Lisa's either. And sometimes she goes out in the dead of night and doesn't come back until mid-morning. She thinks that I don't know, but I do. What should I do? Should I confront her?"  
  
Ron sat down heavily on his sofa. "I don't know, Harry. I don't know. I don't think confronting her is such a good idea, but maybe if you dropped hints that you knew something was wrong, she'd tell you."  
  
"Maybe you're right." Harry hesitated. "I've also seen her having lunch with people I don't know. Sometimes women and sometimes men."  
  
Ron let out a low whistle. "Maybe they're just people from St. Mungo's. They're probably just co-workers."  
  
Harry shook his head. "No, I know all of her co-workers. Something's not right."  
  
"Don't do anything rash, Harry?"  
  
"Do I ever?"  
  
"Do you want to stay for breakfast?" Ron asked, trying to cheer him up. "I promise that Hermione's not cooking."  
  
That got a smile out of him. "No thanks, Ron. I had better be heading home. I'll talk to you later."  
  
Harry Apparated away just before Hermione came down the stairs, yawning.   
  
"Sorry to have woken you, Mione," Ron said. "I couldn't sleep any longer and the sun's almost up, so I thought I'd watch."  
  
"That's nice," Hermione said absentmindedly, running her fingers through her hair. "Was Harry alright?"  
  
"Yes, I think he'll be–" There was just no point in hiding things from his wife._**  
  
  
Ron shook himself out of the memory as Meredith called out.  
  
"We're here. Come on."  
  
"Meredith, don't you think we should do some reconnaissance work? You know, check out the area," Ron suggested.  
  
Meredith smiled. "We've already done that. She hasn't been here in at least two days. Now are you coming or not?"  
  
Draco followed her without hesitation and Ron felt he could do no less. They trooped into an abandoned hotel looking like a police squad, except that one of their members was pregnant. They started to look around, but the place was completely empty. Not a trace of anything remained. The only thing that showed Lucretia had been there was the faint trace of a very flowery perfume that lingered in the air.  
  
"Hey, you lot," Draco said suddenly, "come look at this!"  
  
They all rushed over to the corner where Draco was crouched, looking intently at the floor. He pointed to a particularly dusty patch of the floor where it looked like someone had drawn their fingers through. Everyone else bent over what seemed to be a message.  
  
"It looks like one of the children left behind a message," Draco said dubiously.  
  
"That's impossible," Hermione said, "Lily and Geoffrey are only three years old, neither of them know how to write yet, and James and David are infants."  
  
"Maybe it's a trap," Ginny suggested sensibly. "Make us think that the children have given us clues to their whereabouts and set up some sort of ambush."  
  
"No," Ron said as he peered at the message in the dust. "I think it's genuine. I think that Lily wrote this."  
  
"But, Ron," Hermione said slowly, "even if she understood that she had been kidnaped, could she comprehend enough to know that she should leave a message? She's too young!"  
  
"But she's also the daughter of one of the most powerful wizards this century has ever known. We can't possibly know how much power she has. Her mother is no slouch either," Meredith said.  
  
"Well, what does it say?" Ginny asked impatiently.  
  
"It looks like a riddle. Does 'seat ot banonaded heweroush' mean anything to you?" Ron asked Meredith.  
  
"No," she said, with a frown. "It's not another language that I know of. It sounds like gibberish to me."  
  
"Of course!" Hermione exclaimed. Everyone turned to look at her and she blushed. "Sorry, it's just that the words are scrambled. Seat is east mixed up. Ot must be to, and banonaded is abandoned, I think. I'm not sure what awhrseuoe means though."  
  
"It's warehouse," Draco said quietly. "They're always abandoned."  
  
"So it's an abandoned warehouse to the east. Any ideas, Meredith?" Ron asked  
  
"I think so," she replied, pensively. "Follow me."  
  
* * *  
  
When Lisa woke up again, she had forgotten where she was. But when she saw Harry sitting in a chair beside her, she immediately relaxed.  
  
"Harry," Lisa said softly, "How long have I been sleeping?"  
  
"A couple of hours. Why?"  
  
"No word about the children?"  
  
"No. They're still out looking. Do you want something to eat?"  
  
"No, I'm not hungry. Harry, please be honest with me, how bad is it?"  
  
Harry took a deep breath, unsure where to begin. He was about to speak when the door opened and Jeanette entered carrying a bowl of soup.  
  
"I'm sorry to interrupt, but it's very important for you to have liquids, Lisa. Please drink this broth."  
  
Lisa shook her head. "Not now. Please tell me. Do I have a lot of Ephemeralia in my blood?"  
  
Jeanette nodded glumly. "Yes, to judge by the tests. I'm afraid that you only have three days to live, Lisa. I'm so sorry."  
  
Lisa's reaction took both Harry and Jeanette completely by surprise. She laughed.   
  
"Three days? More like an eternity."  
  
Jeanette glanced at Harry, as though to warn him that Lisa was becoming delirious.   
  
"What do you mean, Lisa?" Jeanette asked pleasantly.  
  
"I mean that I'm not dying," Lisa said as if it should be completely obvious.  
  
"But, you have poison in your blood," Harry said worriedly. He noticed that Jeanette was silently telling him to calm down.  
  
"Ephemeralia does not kill it's victims. After a few days the body deteriorates and the soul is sent to Lucretia's other realm to spend eternity as her personal slave."  
  
Harry was astounded and he noticed that Jeanette was as well. He thought that Lisa sounded amazingly coherent for someone who was supposed to be delirious.  
  
"How could you possibly know that?" Shock had replaced the formerly patronizing tone in Jeanette's voice.  
  
"Because I created it, of course."  
  
* * *  
  
The warehouse that Meredith mentioned was a few blocks away and it did indeed appear to be abandoned. The wooden structure was rickety and obviously unsafe. That didn't stop them from entering. Ginny protested loudly when Draco 'requested' that she remain outside and keep watch, but she eventually agreed because it wasn't so easy for her to move around.  
  
Ginny sat down on a broken bench and sighed as it creaked under her weight. She picked up a stick and started tracing pictures in the dirt.  
  
"Well, well, well. This is my lucky day."  
  
Ginny looked up quickly and saw a young woman staring at her in a curious manner. Struggling to her feet, Ginny observed this stranger. She looked about the same age as Hermione with very pale blonde hair that fell past her shoulders in waves. Her eyes were a curious color, a deep purple that sparkled mischievously. Her chin was somewhat pointed, but otherwise she was very attractive in a cold sort of way.  
  
"Who are you?" Ginny asked indignantly.  
  
The girl smiled. "Lauren Burke. It's nice to meet you at last, Ginny."  
  
Ginny looked at her suspiciously. "How do you know my name?"  
  
"Mutual friends." Lauren dismissed the question with a wave of her thin hand. "I have been very eager to meet you."  
  
Ginny did not like the way Lauren had stressed the word eager, nor the strange, almost hungry look in her lavender eyes.  
  
"Why's that?" Ginny asked, sounding much braver than she felt. Those eyes were quite unsettling.   
  
"You have something I want."  
  
"If it's Draco, I'm afraid you can't have him. He and I are married and I do dislike sharing." Ginny's attempt at joviality did not come off as intended. Lauren's eyes narrowed.  
  
"Oh, no, my dear. It's something much more primaeval than that."  
  
Ginny started to back up against the warehouse until she collided into something much softer.  
  
"What's the matter, love? See a snake or something?" Draco's grey eyes searched her brown ones intently.   
  
"The girl! Lauren! Where did she go?"  
  
The spot where Lauren Burke had been standing a moment ago was empty. Draco looked at his wife with concern.  
  
"What girl, Gin? There's no one here."  
  
"But she was here just a minute ago!" Ginny protested. "She had blonde hair and purple eyes!"  
  
"Purple eyes?" Ron had exited the warehouse just in time to hear that statement.  
  
"Yes, purple eyes," Ginny said stubbornly.  
  
"No one has purple eyes, Ginny," Ron said.  
  
"This girl did, I tell you!"  
  
Ron was interrupted from retorting when Hermione cried out. He rushed to her side.  
  
"What is it, Hermione?"  
  
She pointed to the side of the barn. Someone had carved a message into the wall.  
  
"Lily," Ron said. "What's the message this time?"  
  
"It says that they are being taken to a hotel, but it's not abandoned, it's the Madran Hotel."  
  
Hermione looked at her husband in disbelief. He echoed that disbelief; the Madran was one of the largest wizarding hotels in the city. Lucretia had a lot of audacity to take kidnaped children there. Ron prayed that his children were safe. David was barely a year old and Geoffrey was only three.   
  
"Meredith, what should we do now?" Ginny asked.  
  
"We go to the Madran, I suppose." Meredith looked exhausted. In fact, Ron looked around, everyone looked tired. He assumed that the others, including himself, had not slept in nearly forty-eight hours. They were practically dead.  
  
"The Madran it is," Ron said decisively. He wished that he could do something to raise the spirits of the group, but he couldn't think of anything. In silence they set off.  
  
* * *  
  
"What do you mean, you created it?" Harry asked slowly.  
  
Lisa sighed and turned away from him. "I didn't want to tell you this, Harry. I wasn't ever going to tell you, but now you need to know. Please sit down, you too, Jeanette. This information might be beneficial to you."  
  
Harry sat with a thud. Something told him that this was not a pleasant story.  
  
"When I was young, I was very naive and I fell in with the wrong crowd. I had been studying Advanced Potions and one day I was approached by a young woman. She said that she wanted me to create something for her, a poison. I laughed and informed her that I did not make poisons, I prevented them. But she told me that was perfect. If I knew the anecdote to most poisons I could create one to which there was no cure. I protested, but she convinced me. Lucretia was very good about spinning a story in her own way. As you know, Harry," Lisa glanced quickly at her husband, "I am a true feminist and Lucretia explained that her organization was for women who were unfairly treated because they were women. I couldn't help but be swayed by her arguments. I created a poison that would do exactly what she wanted it to do. I named it Ephemeralia."  
  
Lisa looked from Jeanette, who was in shock, to Harry who was beginning to get angry.  
  
"Were you ever going to tell me that you were a, a, female Death Eater?"  
  
"No!" A look of disgust passed over her serene features. "I may have been a lot of things, but my loathing for Voldemort was and is real. All of the followers hated him if for no other reason than Lucretia hated him. Look, I went to meetings, and I created her signature poison, yes, but I never killed with my own hands!"  
  
"No, you just created the way for someone else to do it thousands of times!" Harry shouted. "How could you do such a thing?" An idea dawned on him. "Were you still a member when we got married?"  
  
Lisa ducked her head. "Yes."  
  
"How could you lie to me day after day? Are you still a member now? How can I ever trust you again?"  
  
Lisa looked at Harry with tears in her eyes. "I'm not a member anymore. When we got married I thought that I would continue to go to meetings and such. She may be evil, Harry, but she wants Voldemort's downfall as much as you do."  
  
"So she can take his place!"  
  
"I would sneak out of the house in the middle of the night, I suspect you already know that. I had to work so hard to keep it from you, Harry. I didn't want to."  
  
"So what changed?" Harry asked with a sneer.  
  
"When I held Lily in my arms, I realized that I didn't want to keep hiding. Hiding from your husband is bad enough, but hiding from your children..." Lisa took a deep breath. "I went straight to Lucretia the moment I could and told her that I was through. She didn't try to stop me, I think she has a weakness for mothers. She let me go. I haven't seen or spoken to her or any of the Followers since."  
  
"I don't know what to say." Harry ran his fingers through his hair.   
  
"Please, Harry," Lisa said gently, "don't be too upset. It's in the past and we don't have that much more time together."  
  
"But you said that you weren't dying!" Harry said, alarmed.  
  
"I'm not, but in three days my soul will be taken to Lucretia's other realm. There I'll be her personal slave for the rest of eternity. A mindless drone."  
  
"You don't seem very concerned!" Harry shouted.  
  
"I'm not. You fail to see the irony in the situation. My own poison, working against me." A shadow passed over her face. "I did so badly want to see my children again. You have to find them, Harry, you have to!"  
  
Harry forgot his anger when he saw her distress. "We'll find them," he said, taking her hand, "I promise."  
  
Jeanette cleared her throat and spoke for the first time since Lisa dropped her bomb  
  
"Lisa, there is absolutely no cure for this?"  
  
Lisa shook her head. "No. I made it just like she asked. Incurable."  
  
"So there's nothing we can do?"  
  
"Not unless you believe in miracles."  
  
Lisa meant the statement as sarcasm, weak though it was. However, Jeanette did believe in miracles, and she knew just the right miracle maker to go to. Unfortunately, it would not be a pleasant visit.  
  
* * *  
  
"So, here we are," Meredith announced, shielding her eyes from the sun as she looked up at the huge hotel in front of them.  
  
As hotels go, it was rather nice: extraordinarily large, hidden by many charms, with beautiful rooms, a terrific view, a glittering pool, and five-star dining. It was pretty fancy and generally patronized by the well-to-do. Ron and Hermione had been invited to the grand opening because of connections through Percy, and Harry and Lisa had been invited because, well, he was Harry Potter. Ginny and Draco were, of course, fleeing for their lives.  
  
A bellhop was waiting at the door to greet them. His fixed smile faded a bit when he caught sight of their appearance. It was clear he felt they didn't belong in a place like the Madran. Ron realized, to his chagrin, that without Harry's prestige, they might not be treated respectfully. Meredith did not seem concerned.  
  
"Stand aside, Charlie. We have urgent business inside the hotel."  
  
"But, miss," stammered Charlie, "you don't seem appropriately attired and I–"  
  
Meredith ignored his stammering and pushed her way past, indicating for the others to follow. They made their way across the lobby and headed towards the lifts. The concierge at the front desk turned a peculiar shade of grey when he caught sight of Draco.  
  
"Mr. Malfoy? Is that you? Sir, I, I thought you were dead."  
  
Draco's face became even more of an impenetrable mask. He responded through compressed lips. "I am not Lucius Malfoy. As you can see I am far too young and much better looking. Excuse me."  
  
He hurried on. Ron stepped back and caught his little sister's arm.  
  
"What's wrong with him? What was all that about?" he hissed.  
  
Ginny pulled away from him. "Draco doesn't like to talk about his parents." Seeing that Ron expected more of an explanation, she continued. "Ever since the Massacre when he came to our side, he just won't talk of them."  
  
Ron scratched his head. "But aren't they dead?"  
  
"That's the point. They died at Voldemort's right hand. They were fighting with him the whole time. You know what Dad and Percy said, there wasn't enough left of them to make a decent burial. Draco won't speak to me about it. I think he feels guilty."  
  
"Why should he feel guilty? You know Gin, it's times like this I don't understand your marriage. You know what his parents did to our family. We almost lost Bill in that war, and he's lucky to be alive."  
  
"Ron," Ginny said evenly. "Shut it."  
  
Ron fell silent. Meredith led them into the lift.  
  
"Okay," she said. "I think I know what floor they're on. Everyone have their wands?"  
  
They all raised them into the air. Hermione looked scared.  
  
"Meredith, how do you know where they are?" Hermione asked.  
  
"They're here. There's a room booked under the name Thomas Rydell. It's one of her little jokes. Come on."  
  
They got off on the thirteenth floor. Meredith led them straight to room 1333. She waved her wand around a few times and looked wary.  
  
"We'd better be careful. She hasn't put up any protective charms so this could be a trap. Wands up, I'd say."  
  
She pushed open the door and there they were, on the bed, the children. They were bound and gagged. And surrounding the children were four burly men playing poker. The group caught them by surprise and before they could move, Hermione knocked one out with a clever stunning spell. Then came the chaos.  
  
There was so much fighting amongst everyone that it was impossible to tell who was pummeling whom. Ginny managed to hit one of them with a Jelly Legs jinx, when Meredith cried out.  
  
"Hurry, grab the children and run!"  
  
Draco and Ron each picked up two of the children. They ran out of the room still hurling hexes over their shoulders. Meredith and Ginny joined them and they made a run for it, finally collapsing one block away. David and James were crying, but Lily and Geoffrey were just staring with expressions of shock. Ron put them down to catch his breath and then straightened up quickly.  
  
"No. Where's Hermione?"  
  
* * *  
  
"It was foolish of you to come, Dr. Mills. I cannot help you any longer."  
  
"I know," Jeanette replied. "I wouldn't have come if I wasn't desperate."  
  
The woman materialized out of the darkness. She was no longer a young woman, but she had aged gracefully. Her back was straight and she held herself like one who had years of practice. Her hair was thinning out, but it was still the shimmery blonde it had always been. Her eyes, those hadn't changed at all. They were a dark grey, and they shone with malice at every word that was spoken.   
  
"I don't know what you want from me. Why don't you leave an old woman in peace?"  
  
"You are far from old," Jeanette answered. There was a rhythm to their conversations; it was deadly to break the chain.  
  
"I have seen many winters and many summers, I have seen much death. I am old. But you did not come here to listen to my complaints about age. What do you want?"  
  
Jeanette explained Lisa's condition. "She is in a dangerous place. There must be something you can do."  
  
"You ask a lot. You want me to save a Potter. I don't know if I have it in me."  
  
"Then don't think of her as a Potter," Jeanette said quickly, "think of her as a mother."  
  
The woman hissed. "She has children?"  
  
"Two. They were taken from her a day ago. Others are searching for them, but she wants to live to see them."  
  
The woman turned her back on Jeanette. She hurried to a bookcase and pulled off a vial.   
  
"What do you get out of this? Why go to so much trouble?"  
  
"I'm not doing this for me. Please help her, from one mother to another."  
  
The woman dropped the vial and a cloud of orange, foul-smelling smoke filled the cavern. "Do not compare us. My child is dead. Go. I must think about it. I don't even know if I can do it, but I will consider it."  
  
Jeanette bowed her head. "Thank you. Good day."  
  
As she left, Jeanette discovered she was shaking. But she had accomplished something. Lisa would have her miracle, if anyone could do it at all.  
  



	7. Rescue Me!

Disclaimer: I own only Jeanette Mills and Meredith Levine, whose names I borrowed from friends and fellow Potter fanatics. I'll dedicate this chapter to them. What the heck!

A/N: Thanks for all of the reviews! I am so flattered! Please keep 'em coming! So the children are back, but now Hermione's the captive. I released a few surprises in the last chapter, but there are many more. In this chapter, we have many appearances by miscellaneous members of the Weasley clan. Perhaps even a Turpin or two! Enjoy, and please review!!! 

You may notice that I'm big on describing characters' eyes. That's cause as some wise person said, the eyes are the window to the soul. They are very expressive.

From now on (because even I am getting confused on what day it is) the time frame will be noted where needed and set off like this: ~time~. Remember, so far they haven't slept at all so everyone is very tired and their tempers are worn thin. The time is noted for the beginning of the chapter, but it is a little later when we return to MATDA.

~Monday morning–very early~

Chapter 7: Rescue Me!

The young blonde beauty with the unusual eyes was absolutely livid. 

"Fools! Idiots! Twits! How could you have lost them! The only reason I hired you goons was because you were strong!"

The four large, burly men cowered before this tiny woman. The reason was obvious. She was irate and her unusual eyes were flashing. Lightning crackled from her finger tips. Normally she controlled them, though at the moment she was finding it difficult to control herself.

"You couldn't even guard a couple of miniature brats! A few weak, pathetic, wizards made fools of you all! Tell me, gentlemen, were you scared?" she asked mockingly.

One of the braver men spoke up. "But, mistress, there were five against four. We were outnumbered!"

"The four of you ought to have been more than enough against five of those weaklings. What went wrong! I thought that the hotel was perfect, they'd never think to look in such a public place, I thought. Well, they did, didn't they? And you let them escape!"

Another one of the 'guards' ventured to speak. "It wasn't exactly five to four, mistress. Er, one of them Stunned Mac."

The young woman turned her wrath onto the guard known as Mac. "You are absolutely worthless. I might as well kill the lot of you."

The last guard spoke. "Not all is lost, mistress. We did manage to capture one of them, the one that Stunned Mac. A woman, mistress."

The sinister, soft lips of the woman curved up into a cynical smile. "Why didn't you mention this before? Bring her in. This is good news indeed."

Two of the men went into the adjoining room. When they came back they were holding Hermione between them, bound and gagged. Her hair was messy and her eyes wild. She was struggling, but to no avail.

The blonde beauty exploded again. 

"Nitwits! Imbeciles! Mongrels! I can't expect you to do anything right. You can't even kidnap the right woman." The woman sighed, shook her head, and transferred her attention to Hermione. "Forgive me, Professor...Weasley, isn't it? May I call you Hermione? It's so much simpler. Here, let me remove that gag."

The woman removed the rope around Hermione's mouth; she gasped because her mouth was so dry.

"Hermione, I am very sorry that you have to be here. Please be assured that I have only the greatest respect for your intelligence and abilities."

Hermione stared back with venom. "Then why kidnap my children?"

The woman waved her hand. "That does not concern you. Now I have to decide what to do with you."

She turned towards Hermione, and gave the other woman a full view of the unusual colored eyes. Hermione held her breath. Those eyes, there was something about the eyes.

"You would be a valuable addition to my cause, my dear Hermione. You are so powerful, let it loose."

Hermione recognized the import behind those words. "Lucretia. I had hoped we were wrong. I had hoped it wasn't you. What do you want with me? You can't possibly think you're going to use me to get to Harry!"

Lucretia let out a barking laugh, quick but villainous. "Harry? Harry Potter? He does not come into my plans as of yet. I have a much better connection to him anyway. I wouldn't use _you_."

For the first time Hermione showed the slightest fear. "Who then, Ron? He's far too intelligent for that."

Another painful laugh. "No, I have no desire for your husband. Isn't it interesting that even now, even now that you're married, he still comes second to the great Harry Potter? Hermione, you are such a foolish girl."

Hermione was not only scared, but confused. "Who then? Damn you, what are you doing to us? Leave us alone. The only thing that could make this worse would be if Voldemort was involved–"

The purple eyes flashed. "Never say that name in my presence. As far as I'm concerned, no one has any reason to say that name anymore."

"And why not?" Hermione retorted before she could stop herself.

"Because he's dead. I killed him."

* * *

"Let me go!"

Ron was shouting and struggling to go back to the hotel. Draco was holding him back, but it wasn't easy; Ron was fighting with the strength of five men.

"I have to get back to her! How could we have left without her? Let go of me, Malfoy!"

Ron managed to get one hand free and he punched Draco in the nose; it started bleeding copiously. Meredith got to Ron first and slapped him sharply across the face.

"Get a hold of yourself, Ron. You have to take care of your children, then we'll figure out what to do about your wife. Calm down."

The fight had already gone out of him. He picked up David to quiet him. There were tears in his eyes as he comforted his child. Ginny went to her husband and pressed a handkerchief to his bloody nose.

"Damn it, Weasley. Was that really necessary?" Draco's grey eyes peered at him over the cloth. Ginny whispered something in his ear; he got very quiet.

"Now," Meredith said, holding Lily in her arms, "the first thing I suggest we do is go back to M.A.T.D.A. Harry and Lisa will want to see their children. Then we can form a plan to get Hermione back. Is that okay with everyone?"

Draco and Ginny nodded their assent. Ron didn't say anything so Meredith took that as a yes. 

"Alright then. Let's be on our way. Everyone pick up a child."

They left quickly. None of them commented on it, but they were all in a hurry to go. No one tried to follow, but there was a feeling of being watched that descended on the group.

* * *

Harry didn't know how long he had been there before Jeanette came back from her errand. She had left without warning, only sending Remus in her place. Harry had been surprised to see him; he had assumed that his old professor had gone with the others.

"Harry?" It was Jeanette's voice. "How is she doing?"

"As well as can be expected, I suppose. Have you heard from the others?"

Remus responded. "No, I'm sorry, Harry. Do you want some coffee? Tea? Butterbeer?"

Harry shook his head. "No thanks, Remus. Why did all of this have to happen now? We were living peacefully and now I don't know. I called Lisa's mother. She should be coming soon so tell Shirley to let her in."

Remus put his hand on Harry's shoulder. "Okay, and I believe that a few members of the Weasley family will be here shortly."

"Fine." 

Remus left Harry and Lisa alone and walked with Jeanette into the nearby cafeteria. They sat down in the hard plastic chairs after grabbing a bottle of butterbeer each. Remus sighed before taking a long swig of his drink.

"I really feel sorry for them, Jeanette. Harry has not had an easy life. Ever since he was made an orphan there was always something missing in his life. As he grew older, Sirius and I kept a close eye on him and worried as he never seemed to get better. He finally filled the void in his life when he married and had children. Now people are trying to rip all that apart again. And ever since they became his best friends Ron and Hermione haven't had it easy either. Sometimes I feel that they never really had a chance to be young. They were too busy saving the world."

Jeanette placed her hand over his. "I know what you mean, Remus, but I think that Harry had to take on that role to make himself feel as if he deserved the praise he always got. Except for one or two occasions, I don't think Harry would have given up his life under any circumstances. It is part of who he is. I know that this is really trying for him now, but I don't doubt he will persevere. Especially if he has some help."

"I'm sorry to interrupt this touching scene, but can anyone tell us where Ron or Harry might be?"

Remus looked up to see identical, freckled, smiling faces with bright red hair staring back at him. Fred and George Weasley, of the now famous Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes, Inc., stepped into the cafeteria and proceeded to make themselves comfortable. The twins had grown up considerably in looks, but they still retained their youthful joie de vivre. In other words, watch your food and drink when they were around. 

"Fred, George, welcome," Remus said.

"Hello there, Professor," Fred said with a grin. "We came as soon as we heard." The grin faded. "How are they doing?"

"Not very well, I'm afraid. I don't know how much you've heard–" 

"All we know is that our nephews have been kidnaped along with Harry's children." George's smile slipped. "I don't think Mum could handle it if any more grandchildren, er, you know."

It fell silent for a moment, then Fred spoke up. 

"Percy and Dad should be here soon. Should we tell them about Ginny? Mum doesn't know. She wouldn't have stayed home if she knew."

Remus looked up, startled. "How did you know about Ginny?"

The twins glanced at each other and shrugged. "Hermione called us. She didn't sound very good."

"Not surprising. Considering what has happened–" 

Remus was interrupted when Shirley walked into the cafeteria.

"Uh, Chancellor, sir, Mr. Ron Weasley and co. are back. They're waiting for you in conference room 22048."

Remus stood up so fast that he knocked over his chair. He ran out of the cafeteria followed closely by Fred and George. Jeanette returned to tell Harry and Lisa that Ron was back. Lisa couldn't leave the bed, but Harry went with the kind doctor to the conference room. Ron and his brothers were conversing in low tones, while the twins shot suspicious looks at the fellow their little sister espoused. Meredith was scribbling something down on a pad of paper and Remus was pacing. The children, Lily, James, Geoffrey and David were playing on the floor with some blocks that someone had provided. At first Harry only had eyes for his children and he squeezed them so tight that Lily made gagging noises. Then he noticed that someone was missing from the group.

"Where's Hermione? The toilet, I suppose."

"No she's not!" Ron exclaimed, as thought the words had been straining to get out of his throat. "She's been taken hostage by that vile woman!"

"What? Hermione's been captured by Lucretia?" 

All at once the story was poured out to Harry and when they were finished there was a knot in his stomach. Before she married Ron she had first been one of his best friends. He cared about her deeply, but he knew that the pain he must be felling was nothing compared to the anguish that Ron was experiencing. No matter how much they argued, Ron loved Hermione very much.

"We have to go after her! What are you waiting for?" Harry exclaimed.

"Silly us," Draco commented sarcastically, "we thought you might like to see your children first."

"By the way," Ginny said, giving her husband a look, "how is Lisa doing?"

Harry shrugged. "It turns out that she's not going to die after all."

"That's wonderful, Harry! So you've found a cure?" Ginny asked curiously.

"Not exactly. In two more days her spirit will be taken to Lucretia's other realm where she will be a mindless servant for all eternity." Harry said this as though he were reading it out of a textbook. The others all looked shocked.

"How do you know that?" George asked.

Harry sighed and everyone noticed the dark circles under his eyes and how he seemed to have aged in the past two days. Then he explained Lisa's former connection to Lucretia.

"I knew it!" Ron exclaimed. "I knew there was something about that woman I never liked and this explains it!"

Harry gave him a warning look. "Watch it, Ron."

"Oh, come on, Harry. After everything she's done, you're ready to excuse her, just like that?"

"She's my wife and I love her," Harry said simply, but there was a glint in his bright green eyes.

Ron started to get angry. "But you just told us that she was a Death Eater!"

"A Follower," Harry corrected curtly. "Not a Death Eater, there's a difference."

"Not to me there isn't," Ron said. Everyone else watched the exchange with open mouths, unable to say anything. "Your wife was a subordinate of that evil, horrible woman. How do we know that she isn't still? First Lucretia takes my children, then she takes my wife. Now I find out that your wife was friends with her, how am I supposed to feel about that?"

"Stop it, Ron. Lisa is my wife, and she's dying in there. I will not let you speak ill of her!"

"What about my wife!" They were shouting at each other now. "For all I know, she could be dead. I say, damn your wife. Damn her for all eternity!"

Harry threw himself at Ron. Only the timely intervention of the twins prevented a fistfight. Fred held Ron and George held Harry. Both were breathing hard and glaring at each other with the look that was usually reserved for Draco.

"Take that back, Ron! Or so help me..."

"What?" Ron said snidely, "What could you do? Tell me, Harry, how does it feel to be married to a murderer?"

Harry struggled to get at Ron, his teeth bared in a snarl. "She is not a murderer! She never killed! She hasn't been a Follower for three years!"

"Remember that night five years ago when you cam to my house in the middle of the night? You told me you thought Lisa was having an affair. I guess we know what she was really doing, don't we? Probably poisoning the entire muggle population for miles! Bit ironic that her own poison is flowing through her veins. Guess that's what you'd call poetic justice, eh?"

"Shut up, shut up, shut up! Damn you, Ron! You sit there so full of yourself, Mr. High-and-mighty! Let me tell you something, you're not perfect. You are a perfect example of one screwed up human being. Did you know that Hermione came to my house just two nights ago in the early morning just to say that you were ignoring her?"

Ron continued as though Harry hadn't spoken, though it was obvious his words stung. "I don't believe that Lisa gave up the Dark Arts. Once on the Dark Side always on the Dark Side. No one comes back from it, you know that. Maybe she deserves this untimely demise. Give her a chance to experience what others went through when Lucretia poisoned them with Lisa's concoction."

Now they were ignoring what the other said. "And Ginny came to me that same night, because she was afraid of what you might say to her. Just because you didn't approve of her husband. You don't approve of much, do you, Ron? Everyone, even your family, comes to me because they don't want to risk your temper." Harry suddenly acted as though he had heard Ron's last comment. "And people can come back from the Dark Side! What about Snape? Or Malfoy for that matter?"

"If you're trying to make a point, you're going about it the wrong way," Ron said angrily. 

"What did I do?" Draco asked.

"Stop it!" Ginny shrieked. Everyone fell silent and turned towards her. "Look at you! How can you act like this? You're behaving like toddlers except that toddlers don't use such foul language!" Harry and Ron stared at the floor, both still steaming. "I am ashamed of you both. I know that your wives and children are the most important people to you now, but you can't forget that you were friends first. Before the children, before Lisa, hell, even before Hermione, you two were best friends. The way you are acting now isn't even fitting for worst enemies. Listen to me, Lisa is dying and Hermione is now God-knows-where. But just because you are worried about them doesn't mean that you should act like children. Behave like men. Harry, take your children to see Lisa. Ron, we will stay here as long as we must to form a plan to save Hermione. But before you leave, Harry," he was just about to go, "you and Ron must shake hands. I don't care if this hasn't been resolved. I don't care what you've said to each other. For the sake of your wives, I want you to call a truce."

Without looking at each other Ron and Harry shook hands quickly, then dropped their hands. Harry picked up his children and left the room without saying anything. With a briefly apologetic look directed at Ron, Sirius followed. Ginny sighed deeply.

"Alright, let's figure out how to rescue Hermione."

* * *

"What do you mean, you killed him?" Hermione asked slowly. "I didn't think that he could ever be killed."

"Not by ordinary means. I alone had the power. Can we please stop discussing him? He's over and done with. Now, have you given any thought to my proposition?"

"If I'm not the one you want, why don't you just let me go?" Hermione suggested.

"Because. That's why. Anyway, I want you to join me. It'll be fun!"

"Killing innocent people by slowly torturing them isn't my idea of fun," Hermione said drily. "Besides, I'm muggleborn. Doesn't that bother you? It bothered Voldemort."

"I am not he" Lucretia shrieked. Then she calmed, took a few deep breaths, and continued. "I don't have the anti-muggle feelings that he did. I kill based on who annoys me. Truly Hermione, your parentage doesn't bother me in the slightest. It's your abilities that I want."

"What are you talking about!" Hermione said, exasperated. 

Lucretia looked surprised. "You mean that you actually don't know? I thought you were just playing games, but if you actually don't know... What kind of man is your husband if he doesn't tell you?"

"Tell me what?"

"Can it be that he never bothered to unlock it? But surely Dumbledore..." Lucretia was mumbling to herself and confusing Hermione.

"Just tell me what is going on!" Hermione shouted. "Unlock what? What about Dumbledore? I haven't spoken to him in two years."

Lucretia stopped abruptly. She turned to Hermione with a hungry look in her strange eyes. "Do tell. Why not?"

Hermione look contemptuously at her. "Surely you know. Albus Dumbledore has not been seen in public for two years. He only meets with a select few."

"So the mighty hath fallen? Interesting. I told you that you would make a wonderful Follower."

Hermione's face only held contempt. "I haven't told you anything that the rest of the world doesn't know."

But somewhere in the back of her mind Hermione was worried. Lucretia couldn't use that to harm anyone, could she?

**_The last time she had seen Albus Dumbledore was a year after her Geoffrey had been born. His last major act was to form M.A.T.D.A. It was also the year of the True Destiny Massacre, one of the most demoralizing acts to ever hit the wizarding world. It seemed to dishearten even the invincible Dumbledore. He was suddenly overcome by his age and retired as headmaster of Hogwarts. The news had come as a real shock to Harry, Ron, and Hermione who thought that Dumbledore would always be the headmaster, long enough for their children to have him when they entered Hogwarts._**

Dumbledore requested to meet with some of his favorite students before he left public view. When Hermione met with him just before his retirement, she was struck by how old he seemed.

"Ah, Miss Granger, or should I say, Mrs. Weasley? One of the most brilliant students that Hogwarts has ever seen. I'm very proud of you, Hermione. You have accomplished so much for one so young. I'm only sorry that you have had to grow up too fast."

"Don't say such things, Professor," Hermione said with a shake of her head. "I wish that I could accomplish half of what you have. Is it true that you are no longer the Headmaster of Hogwarts?"

Dumbledore bowed his head. "Minerva will make an excellent Headmistress and my time has come to an end. Now I am only a consultant for Magic Against the Dark Arts."

"But what about Voldemort? You are the only one who can stop him! You are the only one he fears!"

Dumbledore chuckled. "It is not my place to destroy Voldemort. That has been Harry's destiny since he was a baby. I was only supposed to guide him until he could handle that destiny, and I must say, he has turned out remarkably well. But, Hermione, without you and Ron, he can not do it."

"Professor, I don't understand. Ron and I aren't anything special, why are we so important?"

Hermione looked down at her shoes. Dumbledore leaned over and lifted up her chin.

"Hermione, you and Ron are the heart behind Harry. He needs you to be strong. It has always been the three of you. Harry is quite powerful on his own, but without his best friends he has no focus to that power. Hermione, no matter what happens, Harry needs you and you have to be there for him, or the Dark Side wins."

Suddenly exhaustion racked his feeble body. He kissed Hermione on the brow and she turned and walked away. Outside of the room, Ron was waiting. She threw herself into his arms and two tears trickled down her cheeks.

"Oh, Ron, how can we fight this if even Dumbledore has given up? We can never conquer Voldemort, he's too powerful. Ron, I don't want to die!"

Ron held her tight. "You won't. Not now. If we three are together, then nothing can stop us."

Hermione let out a half sob-half laugh. "Funny, that's what Professor Dumbledore said."

"And we know how wise he is. Now it's my turn." 

He gave her another quick squeeze and then walked into Dumbledore's room for his last conversation with the indefatigable Headmaster. 

"I wish that he could live forever."

"You could at least have the decency to listen when I'm explaining things to you."

Lucretia's voice shocked her out of her reverie.

"I'm sorry, what were you saying?" Hermione asked with sweet sarcasm.

"I was trying to tell you how amazing you truly are and I was trying to explain your powers to you since your husband, man that he is, was too insecure to explain it himself."

Ignoring the insult to her husband, Hermione responded. "Then go ahead. Tell me about this amazing power I have that I haven't noticed for twenty-six years."

"Hermione, you are a Narinhah."

This news was met with complete silence.

"So...?" 

Lucretia stomped her foot in exasperation. "Honestly, don't you know anything? A Narinhah is a person who can take over another person's body–including their powers. Anyone you touch and think about becoming, you become. This way you're allowed to touch people, but if you think about becoming them, you are them."

Hermione laughed. "How could I have such a power and not know it? It's impossible!"

"It is not," Lucretia said haughtily. "Someone has to unlock it for your power to work. I can do that if you want."

"Don't touch me. Just let me go." Hermione cringed to hear herself pleading. 

"I'm sorry, Hermione. I can't do that. I need you and I'm afraid I have to force you to join me if you won't do it of your own free will."

"I'd never join you of my own free will, so do what you want. Imperious curse? I learned to throw that off years ago. We all did."

"Nothing so mundane. It's a personal favorite of mine. Close your eyes this might hurt. Hypnosusos!"

Hermione felt her body seize up and then relax. Suddenly her conscious was wiped blank and she waited for instructions.

"Now, Hermione, are you ready to kill?"

"Yes, Mistress. Tell me what to do."

Lucretia smiled sinisterly. 

"Excellent."

* * * 

Lisa had brightened instantly when Lily and James had been brought in to see her. She was smiling and laughing with her children in her arms. Then she turned to Harry who was sitting in a chair next to the bed.

"I hear that you and Ron are at odds. So you told him about my past?"

Harry's jaw dropped. "How did you know that?"

"You were quite loud. Dear, when I'm gone it's even more important that you and Ron work together. Don't get angry at him because he's worried about his wife."

"How much did you hear? Ron insulted you."

Lisa shook her head in a bemused way. "Harry, darling, Ron Weasley and I have never liked each other. We only put up with one another for your sake. Then, when Hermione and I became better friends, Ron and I tolerated each other for her sake. He was under a lot of stress and the, er, bad feelings came pouring out. You shouldn't take it seriously."

Harry was confused. "But, he damned you to hell!"

Lisa laughed merrily. "Harry, can't you see how ridiculous the whole thing is? He can't damn me to hell, because I've already been damned to Lucretia's realm. It's the same thing."

"How can you be so happy right now?"

"Because I don't have that much time left, but at least I have my family. Harry, do me a favor and go make up with Ron."

Harry nodded and left the room. Jeanette walked in with some more soup. Lisa made a face.

"Not more broth, Jeanette. Please, anything but that."

"It's not for you," Jeanette said briskly. "Your children have been through quite an ordeal, they need nourishment."

Lisa looked at her children with a sad smile. "Do you think that this ordeal will traumatize them for life?"

"No. They're young, they forget quickly."

Lisa smiled again. She looked at her children very closely. Lily had Harry's black hair and green eyes, but James had her slightly curly brown hair and blue eyes. It was comforting to know that there was someone who would carry on her genes when she was gone. She loved her children so much because they were proof that even someone as completely screwed up as she could create something beautiful. She would certainly miss them when she was gone.

"Mummy?" Lily said.

"Yes, dear?"

"I want to go home."

"Me too, sweetheart, me too."

* * * 

"Ron, do stop pacing, you're not helping."

Ron fixed his sister with a glare. "Neither are you. We're supposed to be figuring out a way to rescue my wife."

"We're trying, Ron, but so far we don't even know where she is," George said. "Dad and Percy should be here soon, maybe Perce can use his Minister influence to help us."

"I'm afraid that the Minister of Magic has no control over Lucretia," Meredith said with a sigh. "In fact, no one in the Ministry knows she exists. Professor Dumbledore was very careful to make M.A.T.D.A. autonomous."

"If no one else will deal with this, then I will!" Ron exclaimed and stomped over towards the door. Remus stepped over and blocked the way.

"I'm sorry, Ron, but Hermione would be very unhappy with us if we allowed you to go get yourself killed—ouch!"

Just as Remus was talking the door to the conference room opened and hit him in the back of the head. In stepped Minister Percy Weasley and his father Arthur Weasley.

"Excuse me, but is this the proper meeting room?" Percy asked.

"Hey, Perce, how's Penelope?" Fred asked with a large grin.

"She's fine, Fred, which you'd know if you ever visited. And how's Angelina? Are you ever going to marry her?"

"I was thinking about it," Fred replied good-naturedly.

Before Percy could respond, Arthur let out a cry. He had been looking around the room at the familiar faces until his eyes fell upon one he had not seen in many years.

"Ginny?"

Arthur ran at his daughter and wrapped her in a large hug. Percy stood in the doorway with his mouth hanging open.

"Is that really Ginny? What on earth is she doing here?"

"I'm sorry, but we don't have time for reunions right now," Meredith said quickly. "We have to rescue—"

Jeanette rushed into the conference room. She came to a quick stop and had to grab Remus to stop herself from falling. 

"I'm sorry," she said, "but Lisa wants to speak to you, Ron."

Everyone who had witnessed the falling out between Ron and Harry, swivelled their heads in the former's direction. Ron looked at Jeanette curiously.

"Why?"

Jeanette shrugged. "She wouldn't tell me. But, I don't think it's about the, er, you-know-what."

Ron still hesitated. "Where's, er, you-know-who?"

"Harry has gone to meet Lisa's mother. You'll have at least ten minutes," Jeanette replied.

"Fine."

Ron stomped out of the conference room, leaving Geoffrey and David with his family. Jeanette led him to the hospital wing where Lisa was resting. He hadn't realized until that moment how sick she really was. Cautiously, he pushed open the door to her room. Lily and James were gone, and Lisa was lying in her bed, very pale and drawn.

"I was told you wanted to see me?" Ron said stiffly.

Lisa jumped slightly at the sound of his voice. "Oh, Ron, it's you. Good, please come closer."

Ron walked towards the bed. Lisa sat up a little straighter and smoothed the sheets around her.

"Now, we don't have much time before Harry will be back, or Jeanette will come and force more broth on me. Look, Ron, I know you don't like me, and I'm not that fond of you either. I'm sure you blame me for everything that's happened to you. After all, your children never would have been kidnaped if they hadn't been with my children. And if Hermione hadn't gone after the children, both yours and mine, then she wouldn't have been taken. Am I getting close to why you don't like me?"

Ron didn't say anything. There had been no malice in Lisa's voice, it was cool, calm and unemotional. She stated everything like it was a news report. And what scared him the most was that it was true. Every piece. 

"Even though you don't like me, you are Harry's friend and the only person I can tell this to. I know that you and Harry had an argument over me, but I also know you still care about him. Listen, Ron, and this is very important, there is one cure to what I have."

"There is?" In his surprise, Ron forgot that he disliked this woman.

Lisa nodded. "Yes, but it will never happen. I can't let it happen. Even though I created this poison I never thought to vaccinate myself against it. I also thought that some of the people who ingested it might not deserve to die, and I made one way around it."

"What is it?" Ron asked curiously. 

"I won't die if one person who truly loves me, more than he loves himself, sacrifices himself for me. If Harry ever finds this out then he'll want to do it, I know him. You can't let that happen, Ron. I need you to be his friend and be there for him. No matter what happens."

"How do I know that this is the truth?"

Lisa shrugged. "You don't. You have to trust me. And believe me, Ron," Lisa looked him straight in the eyes, "I gave up the Dark Arts years ago. I would never want to see Hermione hurt."

Ron looked back at her and stared into those piercing blue eyes. "You know what? I'm still not sure that I like you, but I believe you. I will always be Harry's friend, even when we fight, we're still friends." He looked embarrassed for a moment. "I'd better go. I promise I won't let anyone know about the cure."

"Thanks, Ron."

He turned and left, leaving Lisa to muse over the conversation. They had come a long way, their only connection one man who needed every ally he could get. They had finally admitted that Harry's preservation meant more to them than their mutual dislike. Maybe their was hope for them to be friends yet. 

"Lisa," Jeanette said, popping her head into the room, "I have to go out for a time, but I have a surprise I think you'll like."

The door opened wider to admit a single person. Lisa smiled.

"Mummy?"

* * * 

"You came back to soon, Doctor Mills," the woman said quietly. 

"You mean that it's not ready?" Jeanette asked, disappointed.

"It's not ready and it will never be ready."

"What? You said you would help!"

"I said I would try to help," the woman corrected. "It cannot be done. I've tried everything I could think of."

Jeanette hesitated. She knew that she shouldn't have eavesdropped, but she couldn't help herself. 

"I've heard of a cure. Someone has to sacrifice himself for her. Someone who loves her. Would that work?"

The woman turned to look at her. It was a wondering look, curious. 

"Why does the life of this one woman matter so much to you, Dr. Mills?"

"If she dies then Harry's spirit will be crushed. We need him or the world is in trouble."

The woman looked at her again. "You need Potter? Strange."

"Why is that? Harry has the power, he can do it."

"You've devoted so much of your work to studying Lucretia, have you not? And you haven't even wondered what she's after?"

"What on earth do you mean?" Jeanette asked, bewildered. "She wants Harry. Doesn't she?"

"Before you place all of your hopes on the Boy Who Lived," the woman's face went rigid with disgust at that phrase, the very phrase that Harry himself detested, "you had better be sure that he's the one Lucretia is after."

Jeanette looked at this small, old woman, so full of strength and a mild evil. She was dangerous despite her weakness. 

"This was a mistake, wasn't it. I should never have come to you. I'm sorry."

"No," said the old woman, "I'm sorry. I can't let you leave now, Dr. Mills. You're far too dangerous."

Before Jeanette realized what was happening she had been knocked unconscious. The woman looked down at her and shook her head.

"It was foolish of you to come. It is out of my hands now. She comes and I must welcome her, or we all die."

A/N: Mwah ha ha! Am I evil or what? Cliffhanger, cliffhanger, cliffhanger! I have to have some way of making you come back for more.

Now to thank those wonderful people who reviewed my last chapter:

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BBallStar-- There wasn't much from Hermione in this chapter, but there will be more in the next chapter, I promise. And Lisa isn't so bad, she was young and foolish, or at least that's what I keep telling myself.

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Xaviera Xylira-- yeesh, thanks so much! I am truly flattered that you like my story so much. Well, here was more, what did you think?

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Kit Cloudkicker-- I don't know why, but I really like the D/G pairing. I agree that Ron needs to grow up, but I have plans for him. See, in the third and fourth books, Ron really annoys me, but I don't think he's such a bad guy, so he'll have his moment.

****

Veronica-- thank you, thank you, thank you. I hope you got my e-mail alert!

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Renai-- thanks again, that was what I was going for.

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Krissy-- I can't make any guarantees, but they probably won't...wait, never mind I can't give it away.

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Meredith--yeah, I know. You're in another chapter!

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Sehrish-- thank you so much, I can't believe how much everyone likes my story!

  
**Mitie Mouse**-- I have to say that your review kinda confused me, but thanks anyway!


	8. So Long, Farewell, Goodbye

Disclaimer: Yeah, right, J.K. Rowling writes fan fiction, for which she doesn't get paid. Uh huh, sure.  
  
A/N: This chapter didn't take too long to come out, did it? I wrote it pretty fast. Okay, now an important notice: I have to go back to school. It absolutely SUCKS!!! I HATE school!!! It means that I have a lot less time to write, so chapters will be coming out slowly. I haven't given up, though, I promise. Stay with me, People!! And review! Lots of reviews make me want to write.  
  
Chapter 8: So Long, Farewell, Goodbye  
  
  
"For the last time, Mother, I am not a little girl!"   
  
Lisa was becoming annoyed. Having her mother with her had been comforting at first, but now Suzanne Turpin was just nagging.  
  
"Darling, Harry told me that you're desperately ill! I have never lost a child yet and I don't plan to start now."  
  
Lisa sighed. She had to tell her mother the truth, there was no way around it.  
  
"Mother, I'm dying and there is no cure."  
  
"Nonsense," Suzanne Turpin replied crisply, "everything has a cure if you believe in it enough."  
  
"Oh, Mother, that is the biggest load of codswallop I have ever heard! Listen to me! I'm dying!"  
  
Her mother busied herself with adjusting the sheets of her daughter's bed. Lily was playing in the corner with a ratty rag doll and James had been carried off for a nap by Ginny.   
  
"Don't speak that way in front of your daughter," Suzanne admonished Lisa.  
  
"She doesn't know what I'm saying, she's only three!"  
  
Lily looked up. "Actually, Mummy, I know what you're saying, but I don't know what it means."  
  
Lisa's jaw dropped. Her daughter was always surprising her. Sometimes there was something a little unnerving about Lily Potter. She looked ordinary enough, but she had the maturity and intelligence of someone much older than her three years. Meredith told her about the strange messages they assumed Lily had left. Lisa had only sighed and admitted the possibility existed.  
  
Lisa clapped a hand to her forehead; a few hours with her mother gave her a headache. She had slept for awhile, and when she woke up, her mother was still there.  
  
"Mother, could you perhaps leave for a little while? I need to rest and explain something to Lily."  
  
Suzanne hesitated, but eventually she left the room. Lily climbed up onto her mother's lap.  
  
"A story, mummy?"  
  
Lisa smiled sadly. "No, my dear. Not a story. Lily, do you know what dead means?" She had never believed in beating around the bush with a child, or an adult for that matter.   
  
Lily nodded. "Yes, dead is when something doesn't come back. Like Ralph." Ralph had been Lily's goldfish until she over fed him and they had to "bury him at sea" (ie. flush him down the toilet). Lily had been very distraught and Harry was forced to explain to her that Ralph wouldn't be coming back.  
  
"Well, sweetheart, I'm going to be dead very soon." Lisa winced at how that had come out. She hadn't meant to be so abrupt, but she needed to explain it in a way that Lily would understand.  
  
Lily looked at her, clearly confused. "What do you mean? You're not going away are you?"  
  
"Yes. I'm sorry, Lily, but I'm going away and I'm not coming back. If I could stay, believe me, I would, but I can't."  
  
"No! You can't leave me! Don't you love me anymore?" Lily said this in an absolutely heart-breaking tone, as tears trickled down her cheeks. Her bright green eyes were troubled and for a moment she looked exactly like Harry did when he was upset.  
  
"Oh, Lily, darling, of course I love you! I'll always love you, always. I've been so proud of you and your brother. I could never stop loving you. I'm just going to go. I have to go. I don't want to, but I can't come back. Like Ralph."  
  
Lily turned the full force of those green eyes on her mother. She wiped the tears from them with the back of her hand.   
  
"But, you can't be buried at sea, you're too big!"  
  
Lisa laughed. It was completely spontaneous. She was so glad for Lily's very innocence, it made things a little easier. But she didn't want to leave her children without a mother when they were so young. She knew that Hermione would help Harry take care of them, but she didn't want to leave them. If she had known that this was the way things were going to turn out, then she never would have created Ephemeralia.   
  
All of those poor people who had experienced their deaths in the same way. What a miserable way to die. And it was all her fault.  
  
Suddenly Lisa didn't feel very well. She started to shake, sweated, and her mouth went dry. Then a second later she was freezing; goose bumps appeared on her arms and legs.  
  
"Mummy? Are you okay?" Lily asked with concern.  
  
"Lily, go, get, Grandma," Lisa managed to get it out, though her teeth were gritted in pain.  
  
Lily scrambled off of the bed and ran for the door. A moment later Suzanne Turpin came back in. She was alarmed by her daughter's condition.  
  
"Lisa? Lisa, what's happening? Doctor! Doctor Mills, where are you?!"  
  
Another doctor rushed into the room. Lisa had started to thrash about and she was calling out.  
  
"Who are you?" Suzanne exclaimed. "Where's Dr. Mills? What's happening? I demand some answers!"  
  
The doctor was attempting to check Lisa's pulse rate. He looked up to glance at Suzanne.  
  
"I'm sorry ma'am, but you'll have to go outside," he said in a rush as he tried to control Lisa's flailing limbs. "Dr. Mills has gone out and not yet returned. I'll take care of her, but I need you to leave the room."   
  
Suzanne Turpin hesitated. "What about my daughter, what's happening?"  
  
"Ma'am, if you want me to help your daughter, you have to leave!"  
  
Suzanne backed out of the room, terrified by the look of intense pain on her daughter's face. She picked up Lily who was sitting in the hallway.  
  
"Come along, dearest. We're going to find your daddy and see if he can help mommy."  
  
* * *  
  
Harry was pacing in another hallway while Sirius tried to talk some sense into him.  
  
"Harry, you can't just rush off to rescue Hermione. You need a plan!"  
  
Harry looked at his godfather, his green eyes took on a steely glitter. "I have a plan. I find Lucretia, kill her, and take Hermione back."  
  
"Harry, be reasonable."  
  
"I'm perfectly reasonable. That bitch took my children, poisoned my wife, and now has my best friend. Because of all of this my other best friend isn't speaking to me. The only solution is to kill her. Don't stand in my way, Sirius."  
  
"This is ludicrous! You'll never make it, Harry."  
  
"Not alone." Another voice entered the conversation.   
  
"Ron!" Harry exclaimed.  
  
"Listen to me, Harry. I want to rescue Hermione, and at this point I'm perfectly willing to sacrifice you if it will help her."  
  
Harry nodded. "I understand."  
  
"Good. I may need your help, though, so I'm going with you. At this moment she means more to me than anything and I'll do whatever it takes. You are in a similar position and I won't think less of you if you choose to remain here with your wife."  
  
"There's nothing I can do for Lisa at the moment. I can help Hermione and I owe it to her and you. I'll go with you."  
  
Ron nodded his consent. "Good. We'll start at the hotel. I think that—"  
  
But Harry didn't get a chance to find out what Ron thought. At that moment a doctor from the Hospital Wing came running up, gasping for breath.  
  
"Mr. Harry Potter, sir," the man said, reminding Harry of how house elves addressed him, "your wife! She's not good, sir!"  
  
Harry felt all of the blood drain out of him. "What, what's wrong?"  
  
"We don't know exactly. All of the sudden she's deteriorating at a tremendous speed!"  
  
"Where's Jeanette?" Harry asked urgently.  
  
"Dr. Mills isn't in M.A.T.D.A right now. I'm the doctor in charge of your wife, and I have to say that I've never seen anything like it before in my life!"  
  
"What do you mean?" Harry asked desperately. Ron had turned white and Sirius was looking at his godson for his reactions.  
  
"Do you know how Ephemeralia works exactly?" Harry shook his head. "The poison works it's way into your bloodstream, and slowly eats your internal organs from the inside out. Not pretty, I know," Harry looked as though he was going to be violently ill, "but that's what's happening to your wife. As the poison starts to replace good red and white blood cells, the brain activity becomes more scattered and the victim becomes incoherent. Usually this process takes many days. We take a blood sample and from that we can tell how the poison is progressing. It usually keeps to a pattern." The young doctor hesitated.  
  
"Tell me," Harry said in a ragged whisper.   
  
"Lisa's case is the most unusual I've ever seen. She seems to be having a violent allergic reaction to the poison. Instead of keeping to it's schedule, the poison is flowing everywhere and her body has gone into shock."  
  
"What exactly does that mean?" Harry asked although he was sure he didn't want to know.  
  
"It means," the doctor said, with an apologetic look at Ron and Sirius, "that we are unable to tell how long it's going to be. Lisa could be gone in a matter of hours. It's now impossible to tell. Her body is rejecting itself and soon she won't have enough 'good' blood to keep her alive. I've got other doctors and nurses in there with her. If you'd like to see her, Harry, you may, but she won't recognize you and she's become violent."  
  
Harry just stood there as though he hadn't heard any of it. Then his head snapped up, and Ron and Sirius saw a look in his green eyes that they had never seen before. It was terrifying.  
  
"Can you promise me," Harry growled at the doctor, "that Lisa won't die in the next hour?"  
  
The doctor nodded. "She won't go for at least two hours, even if she's not keeping to a schedule like other patients, it's impossible for her to leave in the next hour. We have a few treatments that will keep her alive as long as possible."  
  
"Fine." He turned to Ron. "Let's go. We are going to rescue Hermione and kill Lucretia. I plan to be back here in one hour. Leave Geoffrey and David with your family and I'll do the same with Lily and James. I assume the clan is still here?" Ron nodded resolutely. "Good. Let's go, and Sirius, don't say a single word."  
  
He couldn't have even if he wanted to. Sirius was at a loss for words. It looked like Harry had finally snapped. He and Ron were gone before Sirius could even blink.  
  
"Murray," Sirius said absently to the doctor. "Get back to your patient, and do whatever you can to prevent that woman's death."  
  
* * *  
  
Arthur, Percy, Fred, and George Weasley were relaxing in the conference room, catching up on each others lives, completely unaware that Ron and Harry were on what was potentially a suicide mission, or that Lisa was dying. Ginny and Draco were also in the conference room, but they were far from relaxed. Ron had stopped in briefly to drop off the children and now Ginny was worried he had gone to do something stupid. Her brothers and father didn't seem to notice her apprehension.  
  
"So, Perce, how many children do you and Penny have now?" George asked with a grin.  
  
"The twins make five. Godric's nine, Rowena's seven, Helga's four, and Willy and Arthur are turning two. I think that having the twins was good for Penny, it helped her get over Jon."  
  
There was a brief moment of silence.  
  
"Have either of you talked to Bill lately?" Fred asked. "He was supposed to come for dinner one night, but he canceled."  
  
"Maybe it was Angelina's cooking that put him off," George quipped.   
  
"Can't argue with that," Fred said, smiling, "I'll be blowed if I can see how I keep eating it."  
  
"Is Lizzie alright?" Percy asked. "I heard she was knocked out when the children were taken."  
  
"She was," Fred replied, "but she's only got a lump on her head. Charlie sent an owl to let us know she was alright."  
  
"Stop it!" Ginny shouted suddenly. "Stop pretending like nothing is wrong!"  
  
Everyone stared at her, except for her husband. He was becoming used to her little outbursts, but to the others this was not the little girl they remembered.  
  
"Calm down, Ginny," Arthur said, slightly alarmed. "Are you feeling alright? Is it the baby?"  
  
"No, Dad, it's not the baby. It's you! All of you! Nothing is alright and you're sitting here acting as though it was!"  
  
"What would you rather we do? Cry, scream, rant and rave? We're trying to keep our spirits up. As soon as Harry or Ron formulate a plan, then we will take action!"   
  
Ginny shook her head condescendingly. Draco looked at the Weasleys pityingly.  
  
"You really didn't want to say that."  
  
"Have any of you noticed that Ron and Harry aren't in M.A.T.D.A.? They've gone after Hermione! Without you!" Ginny said.  
  
"What! Is Ron insane? He'll get himself and Harry killed! Where has Sirius gone?"  
  
Right on cue, Sirius entered. He held a hand up to stop Arthur's questions before they could come.   
  
"Listen, Arthur, they're long gone. Come with me and I'll explain everything, as much as I can anyway. Remus is waiting to help me fill in the blanks. The rest of you can join us, if you'd like."  
  
Percy, Fred, and George elected to go with their father. Ginny and Draco were left alone in the conference room. Ginny turned to her husband and buried her face in his shirt.  
  
"Oh, Draco," she said, her voice muffled by his clothing, "what are we going to do? I don't want to bring a baby into this world the way it is! It's too dangerous. And now we have to live with the shadows of Voldemort and Lucretia, it isn't fair!"  
  
"Life isn't fair, love," Draco said with a sigh. "We just have to fight until the world is relatively safe." He placed his hand on her belly. "So, do you think it's a boy or a girl?"   
  
"Draco, will you be disappointed if it is a girl? I know you want an heir."  
  
"No, love, I will love this baby whether it is a boy or not. After all, this is only our first try, we can always try again for a boy."  
  
Ginny laughed, and immediately started to cry. Draco looked concerned.   
  
"What is it, Gin?"   
  
"I'm just thinking that Harry is going to be utterly destroyed if Lisa dies. We may not be able to bring him back."  
  
"You don't seem to have much faith in Potter's strength of character."  
  
"Well," Ginny said, "what would you do if I died and you had to raise our child by yourself?"  
  
"I'd probably remarry," Draco said. "I'm still young."  
  
"That had better be a joke," Ginny said wryly.  
  
* * *  
  
Harry and Ron had arrived outside of the Madran. They walked inside and Charlie the bellhop tried to stop them until he caught the look on both men's faces. They walked inside without any further interruption.   
  
"This is where you rescued the children?" Harry asked Ron.  
  
"Yes, and I think that Lucretia might still be here. Follow me."  
  
Ron led him up the elevator. They got out on the same floor, which was at the very top, and walked to the same room. The door was unlocked. Cautiously and with wands out, Harry and Ron entered the room. They found Hermione sitting in a chair by the window.  
  
"Hermione!" Ron exclaimed. "Come on, we have to leave now!"  
  
Hermione turned to look at them. Her face was blank, devoid of any emotion. She seemed to be scanning them with her eyes.  
  
"Please state your names so I may determine if you are friend or foe," Hermione said.  
  
"Herm, we don't have time for nonsense, let's go before Lucretia comes back!" Ron made a move towards her, but Harry held him back.  
  
"No, Ron, wait. Something's wrong with her. She's under some sort of spell."  
  
"Very clever."  
  
A young woman had appeared in the doorway. She leaned against the door frame, a smile playing on her lips, a wand in her hands.  
  
"Lucretia," Harry said.  
  
"Harry Potter," she replied. "and Ron Weasley, I assume."  
  
"Harry Potter?" Hermione repeated blankly. "Ron Weasley? Do you want me to kill them now, Mistress?"  
  
"What have you done to her?" Ron shouted.  
  
Lucretia's slim shoulders rose in a shrug. "Just a simple hypnosis spell. Much like the Imperious curse. So, what do you want?"  
  
"I should think that would be obvious," Harry said sarcastically. "We want Hermione safe and you dead."  
  
Lucretia smiled. "Fair enough, but I should warn you, you kill me and she dies. We are connected by more than a spell right now. You see, I am not foolish, gentlemen. I know that she means a great deal to both of you, and so I bound my life to hers. I die, she dies. It's just that simple."  
  
Harry stepped forward and pushed Ron behind him. "Take me and let her go. She's innocent. Release her and I'll come willingly."  
  
"Harry, what the bloody hell do you think you're doing?" Ron hissed.  
  
"I currently don't have much to live for. Take care of my children, Ron. Treat them like your own."  
  
Ron was about to tell Harry exactly how stupid he was when Lucretia shouted at them.  
  
"What is wrong with everyone? You save the world once or twice and you automatically assume that the world revolves around you! You seem to have everyone else believing it too, Harry. What made you think that I want you? I don't give a damn about you! If you'd stay out of my plans then I wouldn't give you a second thought! Right now, I'd much rather have Hermione than you. Does that knock your ego down a peg or two? I sure hope so, because you are much too full of yourself."  
  
Harry had no idea what to say. This woman made his head muddled.   
  
"If you don't want me," Harry said slowly, "then what do you want?"  
  
Lucretia cocked her head. "Are you going to give it to me?"  
  
"Probably not."  
  
Lucretia shrugged. "Then we have nothing to discuss."  
  
Hermione had been following the conversation with the air of a dog caught between two masters.  
  
"Shall I kill them now, Mistress?" she asked.  
  
Ron let out a cry. Then he ran at Hermione before Harry could intercept them.   
  
"Mione, it's me, don't you recognize me? I love you. I've always loved you. Come back to me!"  
  
Lucretia sighed loudly. Hermione showed no change in expression at all.  
  
"Look, I admit that it's a nice change to see a husband who actually loves his wife, but she doesn't understand you. In fact, she doesn't recognize you. I say K-I-L-L and she'll K-I-L-L you without blinking. This is the fate that awaits your wife, Harry. Becoming my mindless slave."  
  
Harry shook his head. His throat was tight, but he forced the words out. "No. I don't care what it is I have to do, but she will not become your slave. Ever."  
  
"Then die. That's all you have to do you know. Die for her and she's saved. Damn it how I hate loopholes."  
  
Harry was sick of talking to this murderess. "Are you working on your own or with Voldemort? Because either way I'm going to kill you."  
  
Lucretia screamed. Harry and Ron were taken aback, but Hermione didn't bat an eye.  
  
"Voldemort this, Voldemort that, will I ever climb out from under his shadow?!" She took a few deep calming breaths. "I'm sorry, you were saying? Something about killing me, wasn't it?"  
  
Harry looked at her, bewildered. "You're insane, aren't you?"  
  
"Not the kind of insane where I wear a raincoat inside out in my bathtub, but, yes, I'm probably insane. It depends on your definition. Now, enough about me, what about you?"  
  
Harry started to back up. "I have to go, I can't stay here any longer."  
  
"No one's keeping you here."  
  
Harry looked from Ron to Hermione. "I gave my word that I would rescue my friend."  
  
"And what if she doesn't want to be rescued?"  
  
Harry stared into Lucretia's strange purple eyes. She stared right back. Only, when Harry spoke, he was talking to Ron.  
  
"We can't rescue her now. There will be another time, but it isn't now. Come on, Ron, we have to go."  
  
"Are you insane? We have to get Herm out of here and kill this bitch!"  
  
Harry was still staring intently into Lucretia's violet eyes. There was a malicious spark that gleamed in them. Harry seemed to be able to read her soul through her eyes.  
  
"No," Harry said slowly, not taking his eyes from Lucretia's, "we can't win today, but if we try again we can succeed."  
  
"Ah, to be young and naive again," Lucretia said reminiscently.  
  
Ron looked from Harry to Lucretia. He could see the determination in the former's eyes and the evil in the latter's.  
  
"Alright," he said carefully. "But I swear I haven't given up on her. I will try again. I will try until either she is safe or I am dead. Preferably until you are dead."  
  
Lucretia smiled. "Isn't that sweet. Now run along you two, and I won't be here much longer so I suggest you don't come back."  
  
"You're just going to let us leave? Just like that?" Ron asked skeptically.  
  
"You may leave, but know this," suddenly Lucretia's voice grew cold and deep, and lightning crackled from her fingertips, "I have come this far and I'm not about to let two little boys ruin my plans. I always get what I want. I have been a patient woman, but my patience is wearing thin. I have dealt with Riddle and I have no qualms about dealing with you two pipsqueaks."  
  
"Riddle?" Ron whispered to Harry.  
  
"She means Voldemort," Harry whispered back.  
  
"Now, I'll give you a five minute head start and if you're not out of the hotel by then, I'll blow the entire thing to pieces. It would be a shame too, they have brilliant room service."  
  
Harry and Ron took her seriously this time. With one last anguished look towards Hermione, who didn't seem affected at all, Ron allowed himself to be pulled from the room and out of the hotel. They had reached the end of the block and were about to Disapparate when something happened. Something big.  
  
An explosion that rocked the entire neighborhood came from the hotel. The very top of the hotel was blown apart and started a blazing inferno. Thousands of screaming witches and wizards came streaming out and instantly Medi-wizards Apparated in from every direction. It was pure chaos and it was impossible to tell the extent of the damage. Harry and Ron couldn't move.  
  
"Hermione!" Ron moaned, before Harry grabbed his arm and they Disapparated.  
  
* * *  
  
Lisa was thrashing more than ever, had a dangerously high fever, and was mumbling to herself. A cut appeared on her left forearm and she was losing blood. She was sweating and shaking at the same time.  
  
"Where's Harry?" Dr. Neil Murray asked one of the nurses. "We can't hold onto her much longer!"  
  
"I don't know, sir," the nurse replied frantically, "no one does!"  
  
"Damn it!" Murray called out as more wounds mysteriously appeared on Lisa's legs. The poison was working at an incredible speed and already eating her from the inside out. The best thing now would be to give her mercy, but Harry wanted to be there when she died.   
  
"Dr. Murray!" a voice cried from the doorway, trying to be heard over the melee. "Harry Potter's back! He wants to see his wife!"  
  
"Then send him in!"  
  
Harry pushed and shoved his way through the steady stream of nurses and doctors until he reached the side of Lisa's bed. She had stopped thrashing, but she was shaking like she was about to erupt. Murray knew that she was nearing the end and Harry had arrived just in time.  
  
"We're losing her, Harry, so if you have something to say, then I suggest you say it!"  
  
Harry came close to the bedside, deeply disturbed by his wife's condition. He looked as though he had aged ten years and was obviously exhausted. Ignoring the commotion behind him Harry tried to capture Lisa's attention.  
  
"Lis? Lis, sweetheart, it's me." There was no response.  
  
"Harry, she won't recognize you! She's too far gone."  
  
But Harry wasn't listening. He continued to talk. Then just as he thought he lost her, Lisa turned to him and stared directly at him with her bright blue eyes.  
  
"Har-ry?" she croaked out softly. "I know...tell Herm...it's...Gin...they...Quickly...must..."  
  
Harry barely understood any of that. In one last desperate attempt to keep her there Harry put his face close to hers and told her:  
  
"Lisa, listen to me, this is very important. Never forget that I love you, never forget that the children love you, and above all else, I forgive you. No matter what you have done, I love you and I forgive you!"  
  
The last part came out in a pitiful wail. Lisa opened her eyes as wide as they would go and then closed them for the last time. She was gone.  
  
Harry bowed his head into his hands and sobbed unrestrainedly. Quietly, the nurses and doctors filed out. Sirius and Remus stepped in. They walked over to Harry and sat down beside him. Neither of them spoke. This situation was beyond words.   
  
It was the darkest period they had ever encountered. Hermione was in the possession of Lucretia, Lisa had been taken to the Other Realm, and they were facing their most difficult challenge yet. Lucretia was more ruthless than Voldemort ever was and she had the upper hand.   
  
It is always darkest before the dawn, but this time, everyone involved believed they were doomed to life of eternal night.  
  
* * *   
  
When Lisa opened her eyes again she felt like she was waking up from a long sleep. That is if you sleep on a bed of nails while someone else is chopping your body apart. But after a few moments, she forgot the pain. There was no pain here unless SHE inflicted it upon you. There was also no joy. Lisa had arrived in a place where she was neither living nor dead. She simply existed.  
  
She also ceased to be Lisa. She was no longer Lisa Potter or even Lisa Turpin. She wasn't the wife of Harry Potter, or the mother of two. She didn't have friends, she didn't have enemies. Anything that happened while she was living was wiped from her memory. She was in Hell.  
  
Not in the conventional sense. The entire world around her was drab. No color, no smells. Just a single dirt path that led to HER. The woman who used to be Lisa followed that path like all who did before her. That was where her destiny was. That was where she was bound to go.   
  
She was neither living nor dead, she simply existed. And she only existed to serve HER.  
  
"I am coming, Mistress, and I am ready to obey."  
  
  
A/N: So...? What did you think? Please tell me in your reviews. Just so you know I was going to cut it off right as Lisa "left" but I changed my mind. And I know, Jeanette wasn't in this chapter, the horror! She will be back, I haven't forgotten about her, she plays an important role in the next few chapters. I like her, I wouldn't have gone to the trouble of creating an original character just to kill her off, just like that! And who is that creepy old woman? Something to think about. I know I will.  
  
Thank yous to my loyal reviewers and a special award goes to Xaviera Xylira who wrote the longest review I have ever seen! It was great, I loved it.  
  
**Azalea**—I'm sorry you don't like the names of Harry's kids, I just thought that it was a fitting way for Harry to remember his parents. Lot's of people name their kids after their parents—alive or dead.  
**Kit Cloudkicker**— I'm sorry you're confused. I never said who the old woman was, but eventually, I'll reveal it.  
**LilyAyl**—technically, no, it wouldn't have to be Harry, but I wouldn't have her kids do it and her mother doesn't know everything about her past. It's kinda a mood point now, isn't it?  
**Meredith**—the someone who loves me has to die for me to save me thing isn't completely original, I know, but I didn't get it somewhere specifically. And most likely it's the whole Lily dying to save Harry that my story reminds you of.  
**Peridot**—I'm so glad that you love my story! You aren't Amanda Mancini by any chance? And I love the D/G ship too!  
**Renai**—close, but not quite. I'm glad that you're interested enough to guess though!  
**Veronica**—wow, I'm so glad that you like it! Try reading my other stories, they're pretty good too  
**Xaviera Xylira**—okay, I just have to say that you're my favorite reviewer ever. Your review was the best! I loved it! And I hope that I don't get a visit from Communist penguins with evil toasters! Now, to answer some of your questions: Voldemort killed Percy's eldest son Jonathan and I'm sorry in advance about the end of this chapter, but this story is far from over and there is always a chance for things to change. I'm not guaranteeing anything, but, well, maybe. Is that enough for you? 


	9. Hope Springs Eternal

Disclaimer: I do not own anything that was written by J.K. Rowling. The rest is mine.

A/N: I'm sorry it took so long for this to be finished, but if you look at my profile, you'll know why. Being in school is the absolute worst. Anyway...in this chapter we have a catatonic (I love that word!) Harry, an exhausted and worried Ron, the story of Ginny and Draco (cause I'm sure you've all been dying to know how it happened), a secret or two revealed, and of course, an appearance by everyone's favorite villainess. And I have decided to reveal the identity of the mysterious old woman. I wasn't going to at first, but I realized there aren't that many chapters left. This story won't be nearly as long as Memories of Years Gone By, so already we're nearing the end.

I just want to make this clear, because some of you have asked this or commented on this in your reviews. Lucretia said she killed Voldemort. Now, she's an evil villainess, we can't necessarily trust her word. I'm not saying she did and I'm not saying she didn't. I just don't want you to dismiss him from your mind just because Lucretia said she killed him. And as you'll learn in this chapter, dead isn't always forever. After all, what fun would HP fandom be without our Moldy Voldie?

Oh and one more thing. Mitie Mouse asked if I was a feminist. I say, Hell Yeah! I am 100% feminist. Not that I hate males or anything, it's just that if you had encountered some of the males I have (mostly at school) you would tend to think women are superior too. I just hate male chauvinism and how women are made to be weak in some stories. So I have not only female heroines, but female villains too. It's balanced. Anything boys can do, girls can do (within reason), it's just that we're smart enough not to do it. (No offense to male readers out there, I don't think you're stupid or anything, after all, I don't even know you!) Anyway, enjoy this chapter!

Chapter 9: Hope Springs Eternal

Harry sat there for hours, he didn't speak, he didn't move. Sirius and Remus sat with him as long as possible before they had to go back to work. Ron came in at one point but didn't say anything, he just sat across from Harry and stared. A long time went by before he spoke.

"I'm sorry."

Harry looked up. His eyes were red and there were bags under them. His green eyes were dulled and he had no expression.

"No you're not. You may be sorry she died, but you're not sorry about what you said. I can't say I blame you exactly. But no matter what you say I love, loved, my wife. She wasn't always a Follower."

"You're right, Harry. There was good in Lisa. She was a very intelligent person and she loved you very much."

"Where are my children?"

"Sleeping somewhere." Ron waved his hand in a general direction. "They're safe. I think Lily knows, but James doesn't, even if he could understand. I want to talk to you. Are you going to be alright?"

"No," Harry said flatly. "I will continue to love and care for my children, but I will not be alright. How can you even ask?"

"We need you, Harry! As much as I hate to admit it, you're the only one."

Harry shook his head. "Stop saying that! I'm not the only one! I'm an ordinary wizard who just happened to get lucky a few times. Lucretia was right; we were daft to think that I'm the one she wants. I'm obviously not. Lisa's gone, Ron, and there was nothing I could do. Just leave me alone."

Ron sighed and left the room. He walked down the corner and ran smack into Ginny who was coming from the conference room.

"Ron, we have to talk."

"About what, Ginny?" Ron asked, rubbing his temples.

"What else? Lucretia. And Harry, how's he doing?"

"About what you'd expect. I think that we'd better leave him alone for awhile." Ron ran his fingers through his hair. Ginny watched with amusement as she realized that after being friends for so long, Harry and Ron had picked up on each other's mannerisms. 

Ginny looked thoughtful. "I suppose I hadn't realized until now just how devoted to each other they were."

There was a flash of anger in Ron's eyes. "Harry was devoted to Lisa, at least."

Ginny was surprised. "You don't think that Lisa loved Harry?"

"I don't see how we can know for sure. She wasn't the most trustworthy person in the world." Ron fell silent for a moment before bursting out, "I don't understand it! After everything that Lisa confessed to, how can Harry still love her the same? I mean, she lied to him for six years!"

"Love takes people in different directions," Ginny said wisely. "When did you first realize you loved Hermione?"

Ron smiled. It was the first genuine smile Ginny had seen since this whole mess started.

"It was in our sixth year. Herm and I went to the Yule Ball the year before together, but nothing else had really happened. Mostly we were still friends. Then I remember we were at one of the Quidditch games, Gryffindor vs. Slytherin, and she was cheering loudly for Harry. I just looked over at her and I couldn't help thinking that she was just so beautiful. And it wasn't just her looks, though as you know by sixth year Herm went from looking like a little girl to looking like an attractive young woman. It was her spirit. She had such vivacity and enthusiasm. That's when I realized I loved her." Ron stopped smiling. "We have to rescue her, I just can't abandon her."

Ginny put her hand on her brother's arm. "We will, Ron. I promise."

A young nurse came running up to them. She was out of breath and looked frantic.

"Excuse me, but have either of you seen Dr. Mills lately?"

"Jeanette?" Ginny shook her head. "No, we haven't. What's wrong?"

"You know the explosion at the Madran?" Ron nodded; when he and Harry arrived back at MATDA he rushed to tell Sirius and Remus about it. "Well, St. Mungo's is already over-crowded with the wounded and some have been sent here. We really need her expertise!"

Ginny's mouth formed a little 'o'. "I hadn't realized the explosion was so terrible! Is there anything we can do to help?"

The nurse shook her head. "No, they have everything under control, but if you see Dr. Mills, tell her to come right away. Most of the injuries aren't too terrible, but one or two need her attention."

The nurse ran off again. Ron had fallen silent at the mention of the explosion; he hoped that Hermione hadn't been in the hotel at that time, and he had a feeling she was not. Ginny was thinking hard about something. 

"Wait, Ron, if Jeanette hasn't been seen for hours, something's wrong."

"You don't know that, Ginny. She's probably just out running some errands."

But Ginny was worried. "No, listen. Jeanette wasn't here when Lisa died, right? Well, Jeanette's a professional, she would never leave a patient who was close to death! Whatever errand she was running, she must have assumed she'd be back quickly. Something must have happened. She could be a hostage, or even dead!"

Ron was still skeptical. "That's a bit farfetched, Ginny."

"No, it makes perfect sense! Come on, we have to go tell Sirius and Remus."

Ginny grabbed Ron's arm and they ran down the corridor.

* * *

When Jeanette woke up, she felt like she was awaking from a deep, peaceful slumber. She stretched and yawned. Then she realized she was a prisoner.

She was in a nicely furnished room, a sofa and a bed against the walls. A few bookcases with an extensive library took up the remaining wall space. The only discordant note was that the room was a bright pink. There was also a platter of food on the pink bedspread with a note. Jeanette was wary of the food, but she quickly read the note.

__

Dear Dr. Mills,

I am terribly sorry that you have to be kept prisoner like this, but I'm afraid that you know too much. Feel free to take advantage of the library, for you will be here for a long time. The food is not drugged, but you probably don't believe me. Have fun!

—Lucretia

Jeanette clutched at her head as suddenly the room spun. Then she quickly sat down and thought about her problem.

Now, Jeanette Mills was not a stupid woman. She knew that Lucretia meant everything she said in that note. She could be trapped in that room for a very long time. It was best not to start looking for an escape route until her head stopped pounding. Reading wasn't a very good idea either. So Jeanette sat there in that fuzzy pink chair and thought about what else that note had said.

One of the most important clues was that Lucretia said she knew too much. Except that as far as Jeanette was concerned, she knew nothing. It must have something to do with her conversation with the old woman. Jeanette was slightly disappointed that her informant had turned out to be a Follower, but Jeanette knew when she approached the old woman that she had connections to the Dark Arts. Jeanette had made the mistake of assuming the old woman was harmless. Now she had a lump on her skull to disprove that. 

Jeanette tried to stand up and take a look at her surroundings, but the room spun again and she had to sit down. Deciding to take a nap, Jeanette stood up slowly and inched her way over to the bed. As soon as her head hit the pillow, she fell asleep.

* * *

"Okay, Malfoy, now that we have you to ourselves, we want to ask you a few questions."

Draco sighed. He had been expecting this. Arthur had gone off with Sirius to discuss something, and now Percy, Fred, and George had cornered him in one of the many conference rooms. In fact, he was surprised that Ron Weasley wasn't joining in this discussion. Draco assumed he was off somewhere consoling Potter. He was rather sorry that Lisa had died. She seemed like an interesting person. After all, they had a lot in common.

"Okay, Weasleys, ask."

The three brothers exchanged a few looks, unsure about where to begin. When Draco wed Ginny two years earlier, they had left the country so quickly that the Weasley family never had time to interrogate him. It looked like they were going to start now.

"Do you love our sister?" George asked, his eyes narrowing.

"No, I just married and impregnated her for kicks," Draco said sarcastically. The brothers stared back at him until he shook his head and replied. "Honestly! Yes, I love your sister. I wouldn't have married her if I didn't."

"Why Ginny? After everything you've said or done to our family, why marry a Weasley?" Fred questioned.

"Because. I. Love. Her. Satisfied that this isn't some sort of twisted revenge thing? How I feel about her has nothing to do with her last name. Finished yet?"

"Not quite," Percy said, looking at Draco over the top of his glasses. "Perhaps the most important question, are you still a Death Eater?"

Draco sighed deeply, as though he was extremely tired, which in fact he was. The six adults, Lisa, Harry, Hermione, Ron, Ginny, and himself had been persuaded to take brief naps earlier, but it hadn't been long enough. He was still extremely tired. Being kidnapped does seem to affect one in that way; the children had been sleeping since they were rescued.

"No. I renounced the Dark Arts before I even fell in love with Ginny. I refuse to give you my reasons because it's none of your damn business. In fact, technically, I was never a Death Eater. Look."

Draco rolled up his sleeve. There was no Dark Mark on his arm. 

"I escaped before it was made official. Now, may I go find my wife?"

"I just have one more question, Malfoy," Fred began.

"Yes, Weasley?" Draco said with fake sweetness. Fred made a face.

"How did you come to fall in love with our sister? As far as we can tell you approached her at a vulnerable time, what with Neville having just died."

Draco was annoyed at the insinuation that he got Ginny on the rebound. "Look, I let you interrogate me and as far as I'm concerned I didn't really have to do that. I've been doing my best to be civil to you, for Ginny's sake if nothing else. I'm going to leave now. I assure you, I'm not evil, but you are rather annoying."

And with that, leaving the Weasley brothers with their mouths hanging open, Draco left the conference room and went in search of his wife. Who he found was Harry Potter.

"Today is just not my day," Draco muttered to himself. Then to Harry he said, "Hullo, Potter. Where's Weasley?"

Draco called all of the male members of the Weasley clan that, but Harry knew he was referring to Ron. He looked up at Draco as though surprised to find him in the corridor.

"Oh, Malfoy. I don't know, Ron's somewhere. Excuse me, I have to go."

Draco was mildly surprised at Harry's behavior. "Potter, maybe you should talk to Black or something. You don't look very well."

Instead of getting angry or upset, Harry looked at Draco with a sort of helplessness.

"Actually, I was trying to find the room where my children are. You don't know by any chance?" Draco shook his head and Harry walked on. Draco watched as he disappeared around the corner and then proceeded on the other way.

* * *

"So you're telling us that no one has seen Jeanette since Lisa died?" Sirius asked in disbelief. Remus had paled and was unable to speak.

"That's what we're saying!" Ginny exclaimed. "Something has gone wrong!"

Sirius shook his head. "We could be overreacting."

Remus turned to his friend. "We can't take that chance, Padfoot! If Jeanette is Lucretia's prisoner then we have to rescue her and Hermione!"

Sirius looked as though he was battling with two opposing sides. Finally he threw up his hands in frustration. 

"Alright! Ron, go get rid of your family and then meet us in Conference room 46362. Just ask someone where it is. We're going to try to track down Jeanette then we'll meet in the conference room and come up with a plan to rescue Hermione and perhaps Jeanette as well. Ginny—"

"Draco and I are staying," Ginny said determinedly. 

"So I assumed. I was going to suggest that you go with Ron and then find Harry."

"Oh," Ginny said, blushing slightly. "Right."

They left and went in search of the rest of their family. Ron seemed agitated and kept walking quicker. Eventually Ginny had to grab his arm.

"Alright, Ron, out with it. What is it?"

Ron burst out, "I just have to ask! Why did you fall for Malfoy?"

Ginny was completely taken aback. She thought they had discussed this already but she realized that they never had.

"Come with me, Ron," Ginny said with a sigh, "Let's sit down and I'll explain it to you."

They walked into a spare conference room. Ron sat down first and then Ginny sat down across from him. There was a long silence until Ron couldn't contain himself any longer.

"I've been waiting two years to ask you this, Ginny! I want to know how you ever fell in love with Malfoy."

Ginny sighed again. "Alight, I'll tell you, but it's a rather long story."

"I'm not going anywhere," Ron said, his arms folded.

"Okay. Let's see...you remember how back in my first, second, third, and fourth years I had a really big crush on Harry?"

"I was rather hard to miss," Ron said dryly. "Now why couldn't you have fallen in love with Harry? That I could have accepted. Then Harry wouldn't have married Lisa. Huh, Lisa and Malfoy would have made a nice match."

"Ron..." Ginny said in a warning tone. 

"Sorry," he said meekly. "Do go on."

"Well, by my fourth year I realized that that was all it was, a crush. I didn't really have actual feelings for him and Harry was never going to look at me in that way, so I started to date Neville. We had a good time together. I really liked Neville, in fact, I loved him, but more like a brother than a boyfriend. You know, the way I feel about you, Fred, George, Percy, Charlie, and Bill. Nothing was ever going to happen between us. He may have loved me, I never had a chance to find out, but I was never serious about him. Then everything changed."

"The Massacre," Ron said knowingly.

"Right. Okay, now back at Hogwarts as I was dating Neville, I, like the rest of the female population at Hogwarts, and yes, Ron, that includes Hermione, thought that Draco Malfoy had become extremely good-looking."

"Ginny—" Ron started, a look of disgust on his face.

"Oh, come off it, Ron, Draco Malfoy started to look very handsome in his sixth year. Now, don't get excited, he was still Draco Malfoy and for as long as I could remember, Malfoys had been the enemy. After all, how many times had he insulted you or our family? And let's not forget that his father was responsible for the whole Tom Riddle incident." Ginny shuddered. "But, truth be told, except for one or two occasions, and those were mostly to get you or Harry angry, Draco never insulted me. In fact, he barely knew I existed. Then he graduated, and a year later, I graduated. I never expected to see him again unless it was when he was a Death Eater that I was fighting.

"Alright, so then barely two months after the Massacre, I was in Diagon Alley, sitting on the terrace of Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlor, eating a Rocky Road fudge sundae while I cried. I couldn't help thinking that Neville's favorite ice cream was Rocky Road."

"Oh, Ginny, I'm so sorry," Ron whispered.

Ginny continued as though he hadn't spoken. "You can imagine my surprise then, when who should come into the ice cream parlor but Draco Malfoy. He sat down at the table next to me and ordered a butterscotch sundae. I was still sobbing loudly and was completely taken by surprise when he leaned over and asked, 'Weasley? What's the matter?'. I looked up startled and said, 'Why do you care, Malfoy? You're not exactly known for your compassion.' He shrugged lightly and responded, 'I don't really, it's just odd to see someone who cries when they eat ice cream.' I actually smiled a bit at that.

"Draco continued, 'So what happened? Unless you're crying over a man and then I really don't want to hear about it.' For a moment, he had taken me by surprise, and he was acting completely different from the way he had at school. Then I realized who I was talking to and I said, 'You probably already know what I'm crying about, Malfoy, after all I'm sure you were there!' He smiled in that infuriating way of his and replied, 'So you're referring to the True Destiny Massacre. Now, I can see how that would upset anyone, but why does it affect you so much?' I replied furiously, 'So you were there, you cretin! I'll have you know that my boyfriend was murdered that night! I have every right to be upset.' I don't know what I was expecting, but it wasn't anger from him. He retorted, 'I was not there that night for reasons which are none of your damned business! I'm sorry if your boyfriend died there but you can't use me as a scapegoat for all of your grief!' Well I was pretty furious and I said, 'Why aren't you off torturing muggles, Malfoy? People like you don't deserve ice cream!' I stood up as I said this and tripped. My ice cream went flying! Luckily it didn't hit anyone, but it splattered all over the floor. 

"Then Draco did something so shocking that I thought someone had Stunned me! He actually leaned down to help me up and then he ordered me another sundae!"

"He didn't!" Ron exclaimed his jaw hanging open.

"He did! Once he had pulled me to my feet I took a seat at his table and looked into his deep grey eyes. 'You're laughing at me!' I exclaimed. 'Just a little,' he replied as he took his seat. 'It was pretty amusing. And, Weasley, I apologize, but you should never assume anything about me. I'm guaranteed to surprise you.' There was a brief moment of silence before I said, 'I believe you, and you may call me Ginny.' He smiled brightly and my heart fluttered. We spent the rest of the afternoon talking and I found in him a surprisingly sympathetic listener. The rest, well, the rest is history, as they say."

"Wow," Ron said when he found his voice. "I had no idea."

"No one did," Ginny replied. "That's because everyone was so quick to assume that just because his last name is Malfoy, he's a terrible person. Well, he's not."

"You know something, Gin," Ron said thoughtfully, "I think I understand what you've been trying to tell me. Come on, let's go get rid of the family and then find Harry."

They stood up and left the conference room. As Ginny closed the door behind her, she had the vague sense that someone was watching her. Then she brushed it away and shut the door tightly. The person hidden in the room waited a few moments before opening the door again and slipping out.

* * *

Harry had been wandering around aimlessly, looking for his children, when Suzanne Turpin found him. She rushed at him, her arms outstretched, and wrapped him in a tight hug as she shed some tears on his shoulder.

"Oh, Harry, dear, it's just so terrible!" Suzanne wailed. Harry didn't even seem to notice that she was there. He was an empty shell of a human being. "I didn't really believe that she would die! At least you were here for her."

Harry looked up at his mother-in-law listlessly. "Was I? I don't really know what to do, Suzi. Did you know that Lisa used to be a Follower of the Red Flower?"

He asked this point blank. Harry Potter had no time for subtleties or tact.

Suzanne sighed. "Yes. In fact it was my fault."

Harry thought he was impervious to surprise by now; evidently he was not.

"Wh-what?"

"It was all my fault. Now, Harry, I'm not one myself," she said, seeing the stricken look on his face, "but it was because of me that Lisa got mixed up with that crowd. I have a feeling that she didn't tell you that part of the story. I can't see why not, but there must have been some reason. I assume she told you that Lucretia approached her about making that poison? Yes, well that's not all of it. Lucretia approached my daughter with a bit of insurance—me. If Lisa didn't create that poison, I was going to die at Lucretia's hands. So my dear daughter did as that vile woman asked. I suppose that she started to enjoy the female empowerment that she got from this group. In her line of work she was constantly struggling to get noticed; as a woman she had it much tougher. Lisa became a Follower."

"So you knew the truth? You knew that Lisa was dying because of her own poison, and you didn't say anything!"

"It wasn't my place. It was Lisa's decision to tell you, and I'm glad she did."

Harry was struggling between outrage and bewilderment. "But, I don't understand! Why didn't you try to stop Lisa after she made the poison?"

"I didn't want to force her. Lisa always had been independent, she resisted people's efforts to control her. I felt it was best to let her make her own mistakes."

"Well, now she's gone, so I don't think that your parenting techniques were very effective!" Harry shouted and ran down the corridor.

"Harry! Harry, wait! Oh, damn!" Suzanne said bitterly. Then she walked in the opposite direction. She didn't have time to console Harry, she had some heart-breaking phone calls to make.

* * *

When Jeanette woke up the second time, she felt much better and the room had stopped spinning. She felt well enough, in fact, to look through Lucretia's library. Most of the books were extraordinarily boring, but there were a few that caught her interest. She read one as she munched on a sandwich. They were cucumber. The sandwiches, not the books.

There was one book on the shelves that caught her eye simply because it was the most blatantly obvious book there. And because it was so gaudy, someone obviously didn't want her to read it. It was the old double switch; when people see something that is so apparent they dismiss it as ordinary. It's when something is secretive and hidden that people want to look. So by making something garish and blatant you are in fact hiding it. This book was one of those types of things and therefore Jeanette ignored all of the ordinary looking books and went immediately for the one bedecked in sequins. Sure enough, she hit pay dirt.

It was a book on necromancy. Raising the dead. Jeanette leafed through it and found something very interesting.

_Raising the dead is not only dangerous, but difficult. However in 1854 there was reportedly a woman who accomplished it. Records say that a witch by the name of Isis Jones successfully brought her husband back from the dead. The spell she used was immensely difficult, as was the potion. Neighbors of Mrs. Jones claimed they heard eerie noises from her house for months and that when Mr. Jones did indeed reappear he had "changed". One woman, a Mrs. Peabody, was reported as having said, "Mr. Jones is nothing like he used to be. He is now clean, kind, handsome, and intelligent. Whatever Isis did, something must have gone terribly wrong." Though something may indeed have gone wrong, it appears that the experiment was a success. Mr. Jones, who died when he was hit by a speeding carriage, returned to work two days later._

Jeanette's lips curved up in a smile. Unbeknownst to her, Lucretia had supplied her with the only possible way to save Lisa. Now all she had to do was escape. 

The door creaked open.

"Hello, Dr. Mills. Read any good books lately?"

* * *

It had been hard to get rid of the family, but eventually Ron and Ginny managed it. Tired, they found Harry and led him to the conference room. He didn't say a word. Draco, Sirius, Remus, and Meredith were already there. It looked like Meredith had been crying.

Ron marched Harry over to a chair before taking one himself. Ginny sat down next to her husband and put her head on his shoulder. Draco's mouth was tightened into a firm line and the hand that gripped his wife's was as hard as steel. Something was wrong.

Sirius stood up to address the room. He sighed and looked tired. Ron took a look around the room and realized that no one looked their best. Everyone was exhausted and unhappy. They were a beleaguered group and at the moment, the situation didn't look very hopeful.

"Well, the good news is that we know for certain Jeanette isn't dead. The bad news is that she, like Hermione, is Lucretia's prisoner. We are working on a plan to rescue both of them, but if any of you have suggestions, we'd be glad to hear them."

Ginny spoke up. "Why can't we just track her down? Lucretia, I mean."

Meredith shook her head. "Trying to track Lucretia is like trying to hold smoke. It's impossible. She's gone in a second. The reason that Harry and Ron were allowed to get so close is not because of some careless move on her part, no, Lucretia doesn't make careless mistakes. They got so close because Lucretia wanted them to."

"But she's definitely insane, right?" Ron asked.

"I would doubt the sanity of anyone who enjoys torturing muggles, but yes, she's probably very much insane."

"Great," Ron said, depressed. "My wife is in the hands of a mad woman. She doesn't recognize me, she wants to kill me, and there's nothing I can do about it!"

"On the contrary. We simply have to figure out what it is that Lucretia wants and offer it to her in exchange for Hermione and Jeanette," Sirius said calmly.

"There's only one problem with that brilliant plan," Draco said sarcastically. "We don't know what she wants."

"Let's narrow the field a bit, shall we?" Remus remarked. He looked calmer now, but Ginny could tell he was still very upset. "We know she doesn't want Harry, she made that perfectly clear. I doubt she wants you, Ron, or she would have detained you. She can't want Hermione or we would know what her plan is by now. She obviously didn't want Lisa, and I imagine she doesn't want Jeanette. She's probably just holding Hermione and Jeanette hostage because she feels they'd be of some use to her. So that leaves Draco and Ginny."

"That doesn't make sense," Ron complained. "Voldemort may have wanted Malfoy, but why would Lucretia kidnap the children to get to him or Ginny?"

"Could it be that we're going about this the wrong way?" Sirius muttered to himself. "Of course, we've been looking at this all wrong! Maybe it wasn't Harry's children Lucretia was after, but Ron's! And Harry and Ron's children were just in the same place so she decided to kidnap them all!"

"That still doesn't make any sense! If she wants me or Draco, why would she kidnap the children? They aren't our children," Ginny said.

"But David and Geoffrey are your nephews!" Meredith exclaimed, warming to the idea.

Draco snorted and shook his head. "No, it still doesn't work. Let me clarify this for you all. See, I have never met my nephews before, and Ginny has only seen Geoffrey. Besides, our arrival in London wasn't known to anybody. We were only planning to be here a short time before flying off again. Why would Lucretia kidnap Potter and Weasley's kids to get to us, when she couldn't even know that we were here?"

"What if she did know you were here?" Remus countered. "After all, Draco, you were kidnapped by Voldemort and we don't know how many spies Lucretia has in his camp. And Ginny, when you found out that your nephews had been kidnapped did you say, 'Oh well, tah tah, Ron, we're off'? No, you came here. You both did."

"So if it's me or Draco she wants, what do we do now?"

Ginny's question was met with silence.

* * *

"Jeanette, darling! It's so good to finally meet you at last!"

Jeanette Mills had finally come face to face with the woman who she had spent two years researching. And while Lucretia may have looked harmless, Jeanette knew she was dangerous.

"Lucretia. Why don't you let me go? I don't know anything, I swear!"

"I'm afraid I can't do that. I hope you haven't been too uncomfortable, I mean, I know it's not the Madran, but after what's happened I'm sure you'd rather be here."

"What do you mean?" Jeanette asked fearfully. "What happened at the Madran?"

"Oh, I blew it up," Lucretia said carelessly. "Not the entire thing, mind you, but enough. It was chaos when I left. I do so love chaos."

"Alright, this is getting ridiculous! What the hell do you want? And if you think you're going to get it by kidnapping me, you're crazy."

Lucretia rolled her eyes. "I am crazy and I kidnapped you because I want you to join me. Actually, I hadn't intended to kidnap you, but Narcissa just sort of dropped you in my lap."

"Narcissa?" Jeanette repeated.

"Yes, the old woman, your 'informant'. Narcissa Malfoy, a dear friend of mine. I suppose she thought you'd be useful. That and you know too much."

"Malfoy? She's a Malfoy? Oh my god, she's Draco's mother!"

"Draco? You mean that little boy with a face like a rat?" Lucretia asked curiously. "I imagine he's grown up a bit since I last saw him. Is he a follower of HIM like his father?"

"Who, Voldemort?" Jeanette asked without thinking.

"Don't say that name!" Lucretia shrieked. "Voldemort this, Voldemort that. Did you know that I gave him that alias? I told him he had the word death in his name and from that he fashioned Voldemort. Damn him." Lucretia paused and got her countenance under control. "Now, Dr. Mills, Jeanette, Narcissa told me that you have spent two years studying me. Why? Am I that fascinating?"

Jeanette found her voice. "Actually, you are. The first Dark witch to rival Volde—I mean to rival, er, to rival—"

"Voldemort. Yes, just get on with it," Lucretia said impatiently.

"Your power is amazing and your modus operandi is quite unusual. You're a real threat to the world as we know it."

"How kind of you to say so! Do you really believe that? I'm very flattered. Now, would you like to join me? Become a Follower?"

"I'd rather not," Jeanette said cooly, though her knees were shaking.

"Ah, but I could make you. Just like I made Hermione."

"Have you hurt her? You had better not! Besides I can't be controlled by the Imperious curse."

Lucretia rolled her eyes again. "Who said anything about the Imperious Curse? Besides, I'm not sure I want to do that. I'll have to think about it. Now, since you're feeling better and you've had a sandwich, I assume you'll start looking for a way to escape. I can't have that, at least not until I've decided what I'm going to do with you, so I'll leave one of my Followers with you. She'll be in in a moment. It's been nice chatting with you, and when you see that friend of yours, Inspector Levine, you can tell her all about me. Goodbye."

Lucretia swept from the room, closed the door, and locked it. Jeanette was once again a prisoner. But she wasn't alone for long. Soon the door creaked open and a young woman who looked to be Harry's age walked in. She had an unpleasant expression and wasn't very attractive.

"Hello. Thanks to you I have to sit here and babysit you. I suggest that you don't try anything because you would be unconscious before you could say 'Alohomora'." The young woman was fingering her wand in a loving way and Jeanette realized for the first time since her imprisonment that her own wand was missing.

"Who are you?" Jeanette asked shakily.

The girl smiled in a way that made her look even more hideous. "I hate to use cliches but 'that's for me to know and you to find out' and we have plenty of time to get acquainted."

Jeanette started to feel nervous. If this woman was a Follower, chances were she was utterly ruthless and as dangerous as a poisonous snake. 

* * *

Someone, Harry didn't notice who, led him to his children. He didn't want to talk to anyone else and he didn't want to work on plans to rescue his friends. At the moment, nothing but his children mattered to him.

"Hello, Lily," he said softly. Lily looked up from the coloring book she was working on and threw herself into her father's arms.

"I thought you had forgotten me!" Lily cried. "Is mummy coming?"

Harry's stomach dropped. "No, sweetheart. Mummy's not coming back."

Comprehension dawned on Lily and she started to cry. Harry sat there with his daughter in his arms, wishing he could do something to ease her pain and his own. After a few minutes, Lily sat up and wiped her eyes.

"I didn't say goodbye. Do you think she hates me?"

"No, Lily, mummy would never hate you. Ever. She loved you so much and she wouldn't want you to be unhappy."

"Well, I am. I want mummy back, I miss her. What about James?"

"I would tell him, but I don't think he'd understand," Harry answered. "Right now this will be between you and me. When James is a little older, we'll explain to him how much mummy loved both of you."

"Why did she die, daddy?" Lily asked, tears still dripping down her face.

Harry sighed. He knew his daughter was brighter than most and she probably remembered everything about her capture. The adults hadn't had a chance to ask her because more pressing matters came up. Now was his chance.

"Lily, do you remember that lady who kidnapped you?" Lily nodded. "Well, she's a very bad woman and she uses poisons. Do you know what poison is?" Lily nodded again. "Mummy got some of that poison and it killed her." Harry winced. Why was it so difficult to talk to your kids about death?

"So Auntie Lucy killed mummy?" Lily asked, obviously confused.

"Who's Auntie Lucy?" Harry asked, apprehension mounting.

"The lady who took us. She said she was a friend of yours and told us to call her Auntie Lucy. I didn't believe she was your friend, though."

"What else did she say, Lily?" Harry asked, trying to keep his tone neutral.

"Just that we could go home when she got what she wanted," Lily replied and returned to her coloring book. Apparently this topic was of no interest to her.

"Did she tell you what she wanted?" Harry prompted.

Lily thought about it. "I can't remember. Everything is fuzzy."

Harry was slightly disappointed. "Alright, sweetie, but if you remember, please tell me. It's very important."

"Okay, daddy."

Harry stood up, kissed his daughter, and left the room. If Lily remembered that vital piece of information it could really help to get Hermione and Jeanette back. And if Lily couldn't remember, maybe Geoffrey could. Finally things were starting to look up. Harry pushed Lisa to the back of his mind because now he needed to be strong. He had to help his friends, Lisa would have wanted him too. 

It is always darkest before the dawn. Well, it looked like dawn was finally breaking over the horizon.

A/N: Well, what do you think? TELL ME!!! REVIEW!!! I have some people telling me how much they love this story and then I only get a few reviews per chapter! Granted, most are pretty long, but still I want more! I'm greedy! 

I told you who the old woman was, finally. Were you surprised? And this isn't the end of her, she'll be back. I was almost going to tell you what Lucretia wanted, but that will have to wait. Oh, and the cucumber sandwiches were a tribute to my favorite non-Harry Potter author, Elizabeth Peters. One of her heroines always has cucumber sandwiches with tea. Read her books; they're great!

I love long reviews and I think it is so great how some of you have written reviews that are a page long! It shows me that you're really interested in my story. Let's keep the reviews coming, shall we? And Xaviera, you've got competition for the longest review!

Thank yous:

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Amerkat— thanks for the super long review, I loved it! Yes, I love cliffhangers, it's the best way to get readers to come back for more! Harry and Ron aren't exactly best friends again, yet, but they're not so mad anymore. Now you know who the old woman is, I hope you were surprised. And yes, Lisa had to die. I'm sorry, but it was vital to the plot. Don't worry, she might not be gone forever. Oops, I think I've said too much...

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Electra— thanks, I'm glad you like it.

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Kit Cloudkicker— you'll find out what Lucretia's up to soon enough, I promise.

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lilyayl— I'm glad you liked the ending. By the way, what does nicht so schlect mean?

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Luers— Genius? Me? Oh, wow, thanks. I'm so flattered! I'm glad that you like my story so much, and thanks for sending me that long e-mail, it was so great. Oh, look, I'm blushing.

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Meredith— I will reveal the truth about Voldemort in good time, be patient. Lisa didn't take her time in going, she just had to walk there. And her mother couldn't die for her because she didn't know about it. By the time Lucretia told Harry about it (and he really didn't think about what she said) Lisa was too far gone.

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Mitie Mouse— I do believe we have a new longest reviewer! I loved it! Now, let me see if I can answer some of your questions. There was a sort of vaccination where if you took it before you were poisoned you'd be okay, like a measles shot or something, and Lisa didn't give herself one b/c she never thought she'd be poisoned. Remember, when she made it she was still on Lucretia's side. Now, she could be coming back, then again she might not. I have it all planned out, though, I promise. Ron and Harry aren't completely angry at each other anymore, but they're not quite back to being best friends. I'm glad you like Lucretia, that's what I was going for, to create a villain who you love to hate. Apparently the word is spelled 'quintessence' but you could also say she's the 'quintessential' villain. And Voldemort was alive long enough to capture Draco, if Lucretia did indeed kill him (and I'm not saying one way or another) she did it after Harry rescued Draco. Remember how his fortress disappeared?...hmm. Oh, and if you read Star of Hope, I'm warning you, it was my first effort and, while I think it's good, it's not as good as this one or Memories of Years Gone By. That's probably the longest thank you I've ever written so I hope you read it.

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Sagittarii— oh divine one? Me? Am I really that good? Wow. And everyone seems to hate that I killed off Lisa. Hmm, well, just keep reading and I hope you'll be pleasantly surprised.

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Sybil— I don't know that's a lot of praise. But you could review again, I'd appreciate that.

And last but certainly not least,

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Xavi Dearest— well, you may have written the longest review anymore, but you were the first so I appreciate that. I think you got everyone else started. You finally know who the old woman is, were you surprised? Happy ending? Maybe. But then again, maybe not. *chuckles evilly*

Okay so please REVIEW!!!! I will put a thank you at the bottom of the next chapter and try to answer any questions you have. Oh, and the next chapter probably won't be out for a very long time. If you'd like to be alerted when the next chapter is up, leave your e-mail in your review.


	10. Whatever Lucretia Wants

Disclaimer: Okay, so I didn't actually create HP. It's not like I lied to you. Get off my back!

A/N: A super long chapter in exchange for the long wait. Let's see some super long reviews as well!

More Hermione in this chapter, but she's still Robot Hermione. Oh, and you finally get to know what it is that Lucretia wants so badly. But not why she wants it. That you'll find out in another chapter.

We see the "old woman" again! You'll see why she's an "old" woman later on.

We have a special guest with us for a few chapters! (At least two, I think) He/She will appear towards the end so you can amuse yourself trying to guess who it is while you read. No fair cheating!

Oops, I made a mistake. I said that Sirius and Remus were in their mid–forties earlier (none of you probably remember, but I still want to make this clear) but change that to about fifty. Jeanette Mills and Meredith Levine are supposed to be that age as well.

Okay and I have a character in disguise as someone else and I realize that supposedly the only way to do that is Polyjuice Potion only my character doesn't have time or supplies to make it so I created a spell. Let's just say that this spell is fairly recently discovered, takes a lot of power, only lasts a short time, and once it wears off can't be cast again for a week. That ought to take care of it.

~Tuesday Afternoon~ (now I'm starting to forget what time it is again, so it's Tuesday late afternoon and the adults have gotten some sleep but not much, oh and at some point they ate something)

Chapter 10: Whatever Lucretia Wants

Ginny was still waiting for an answer to her question. No one responded, not even her husband. They had been sitting in silence since Harry had left the room in search of his children.

"Well?" she said finally. "What are we supposed to do?"

"We don't know what to do," Sirius said finally. "We're not sure that it's you or Draco that she's after. Until we know for sure, there's not much we can do."

"Really, Sirius, that is such a political answer. We need to make plans!" Ron slammed his fist down on the table. "Just sitting around saying, 'Well, we don't know what to do yet, but something will come up soon, I'm sure,' is not going to get anything done! I want my wife back!

"We know, Ron," Remus snapped. "We're working on it. If you happen to know where she is, how to get her out from Lucretia's clutches, and take off that damned binding spell, then by all means say so!"

Ron looked slightly chastened. "I apologize. You just have no idea what I'm going through right now."

Remus stared at him for a few moments. "Actually, I think I do."

He said that very quietly. For a moment Ginny wasn't sure she heard him correctly.

"So, what do we do now, because I, for one, am not just going to sit around here all day," Draco said snidely. 

Ron looked around the room. "Ginny, did I send the children with Fred and George?" 

"Yes, Ron," Ginny replied, surprised. "Don't you remember?"

Ron looked dazed and confused. "Yes," he said hesitantly.

"Can we please get on with business?" Draco asked plaintively.

"Ahem," came a voice from the door; Harry was standing there, looking tired but otherwise alright. "May I join in the discussion?"

"How do you feel, Harry?" Sirius asked gently. 

"I'm alright. For now. I'm trying not to think about it for the time being, so if everyone can avoid mentioning it, I think I'll be fine."

"Good," Ron said blankly. "Now, what about a tracking spell, not on Lucretia, but Hermione?"

"It could work," Sirius said doubtfully. "Come with me, Ron, and we'll give it a try."

Sirius, Remus, and Ron left the conference room. A minute later Meredith left, saying that she had work to do. Draco gave his wife's hand a squeeze before leaving himself.

"I'll be back, love, I just have to get something to eat."

Draco left leaving just Harry and Ginny alone in the room. There were a few minutes of awkward silence between them. Harry kept pushing his glasses up his nose and Ginny rearranged her robes around her. 

"So," Ginny said slowly, "how are your children?"

"Lily's very upset, but James is just sleeping," Harry said listlessly.

"I've made a decision," Ginny said finally. Harry looked up at her. "If it's Draco and I who are causing all the trouble, we'll just leave. Leave the country again."

Harry seemed surprised. "You can't do that, Ginny! You finally came back, you can't leave again!"

"Yes, I can. All of these horrible things have happened because Draco and I came back. If we leave again, Lucretia will follow us to wherever we go and you'll be able to live in peace."

Harry shook his head. "That's ridiculous, Ginny. I thought that you had more sense than that."

"Harry, it's my fault or Draco's fault that Lisa died, our fault that Hermione and Jeanette are prisoners. I have enough guilt. I know we have to leave."

Harry looked at her as though seeing her for the first time. "What ever happened to that sweet, shy little girl who used to turn red when I walked into the room?"

Ginny was taken aback. "What are you talking about?"

"You're different. I remember how you used to be so scared to talk in front of me. And even when you were an adult before the Massacre, you were light-hearted, mild, sweet, and innocent. What happened? Did Mal—Draco do this?"

Ginny felt herself grow angry. "Are you saying you wish I was the boring little girl who worshipped you again? Well, I'm not. I've grown up. I'm sorry if you, and my brothers, and Hermione, and everyone else, aren't happy with who I am, but I'm proud of myself. You have no idea what I've had to overcome, Harry Potter, so you have absolutely no right to criticize me."

Now Harry was taken aback. "Then why don't you tell me?"

"Fine I will." Ginny took a deep breath. "Do you realize that you don't know what I've been doing for the past two years? We haven't had a single chance since I arrived for you to stop and say, 'So what have you been up to these past two years, Gin?'."

"But, I know what you were doing. You were running for your lives," Harry said in confusion.

"We weren't running nonstop, Harry! We had to have some way of supporting ourselves!"

"I thought Malfoy was rich. After all, his parents are dead, doesn't all the money go to him?"

"Of course it does!" Ginny said exasperated. "But how were we supposed to get to it? Until it was safe to journey back to London, we had to find some other way of making money. Do you know what we did? No, of course, not. How could you? I never told Hermione and she's the only one I've even contacted. Have you ever heard of the Peace Corps, Harry?"

The question struck Harry as something of a non sequitur, but he answered truthfully. "I'm not sure, isn't it when people go to impoverished countries to help the less fortunate?"

Ginny nodded. "I learned about it in America. That's what we've been doing for the past two years, Harry. Draco and I have been doing that sort of work. And not for less fortunate witches and wizards. For muggles."

Harry's jaw dropped and for a moment he forgot all of his problems and just thought about what Ginny was saying.

"Are you telling me that Malfoy voluntarily went to help muggles in a Third World country? In a place with no five star dining and fancy hotels?"

Ginny looked at him angrily. "Draco is not such a mollycoddled brat. He learned a lot from that work, meeting people who were so poor that they couldn't afford to eat and didn't even have magic! If you had seen as much death, suffering, turmoil, and hunger as Draco and I have these past two years, maybe you would understand. We helped those people, even when it meant that we had to give up some luxuries. And yes, Harry, Draco did it willingly. I know that back in school he was a spoiled little brat with an attitude problem, but he's changed. He's become a better person! If you had been through what he has—"

"But Ginny," Harry finally interrupted. "I've seen my share of death, suffering, turmoil, and hunger! Just because most weren't muggles, doesn't make my work any less important! You can't think you're the only person in the world who's done good! Look," he said, moderating his tone when he saw tears come to her eyes, "I understand that you're eager to prove to us that Malfoy isn't what he used to be and I admire your efforts, but the only way to prove that to us is for Malfoy to stop being an arse and help us! We won't be convinced simply through your stories, entertaining though they may be!"

"He did help rescue your children, Harry!" Ginny shouted back.

"Only after I rescued him. Get him to help without it being about retribution. And while you're at it, ask him to cut out those sarcastic remarks which are getting him nowhere."

"How dare you say such things about my husband?" Ginny asked furiously.

"I dare because they're true. I'm sorry, but they're true." Harry wouldn't look at her.

"You make it sound as if all Draco does is sit around making sarcastic remarks and being counter–productive!" Harry was silent. "I don't care what you say. He helped rescue your children and he's helping now!"

"But he wasn't the only one to try to rescue my children. You went, so did Ron, and Hermione, we know how that turned out, and even Meredith! And she knew me what, three hours, before she decided to help?"

Ginny's eyes brimmed with tears. "I thought out of everyone else, my brothers, my parents, the rest of the world, even Hermione, I thought you would understand."

"Understand what? The only thing I understand is that we're wasting time with this pointless discussion. I'm leaving."

He stood up, walked to the door, and left. Ginny called after him.

"Harry! Come back! I haven't finished with you yet! Get back here! Oh, damn!"

Miserable and feeling more alone then ever, Ginny burst into tears. And that was how Draco found her when he returned a moment later.

* * *

They had been sitting there, not speaking, for hours. Jeanette had lost track of time and she wasn't sure just how long she had been sitting in silence with this Follower. Finally she couldn't take it anymore.

"Are we just going to sit here forever?" she burst out.

The Follower looked at her in mild surprise. "What would you rather do? Play Exploding Snap?"

Jeanette replied contemptuously. "I'd like my freedom, but, barring that, I'd like some answers."

The woman smiled in that way that made her look quite hideous. "You can ask any question you like, I just won't guarantee you an answer."

"What's your name?" Jeanette asked immediately. The Follower laughed.

"That's none of your business. Try again, ma'am." There was heavy sarcastic influence on the ma'am.

Jeanette was furious. She was being held prisoner by a woman nearly half her age. And while Jeanette was beginning to lose her temper, the woman was continually cool as ice. Suddenly she had an idea. Checking the pocket of her robes quickly to make sure the piece of paper was still there, Jeanette leaned back on a pretense of calm.

"I see, I can ask you any question, just as long as it reveals my elderly ignorance and inflates your youthful ego."

"Now you're starting to catch on. I'm young and much smarter than you. You're old and I suggest you don't try anything."

Jeanette had her neatly trapped. "But your Mistress is much older than I am, nearing her hundreds, isn't she?"

The Follower's eyes narrowed. "My Mistress does not age, she will be young and beautiful forever."

Jeanette waved her hand as though that made no difference. "I wouldn't expect a child like you to understand. After all, you're just a minion." The woman's eyes took on a decidedly evil look, but Jeanette continued on. "Let me spell it out for you, dearie." Now Jeanette was using sarcasm. "You're Mummy dearest may look nice now, but even the mighty Voldemort is rather repulsive."

The Follower shrieked. "Don't say that name! Never say that name!"

Jeanette was slightly taken aback. "I was aware that Voldemort's name affected Lucretia, but I didn't realized that it bothered her Followers so much. Voldemort!" The woman shrieked again. Jeanette smiled and repeated the fateful name. "Voldemort, Voldemort, Voldemort, Voldemort!"

Finally the woman cracked and lashed out. "Stop saying that name!" She rushed Jeanette, grabbed her by the throat in a surprisingly tight grip, and pointed her wand directly at the good doctor's face.

Jeanette gurgled, but managed to make her next few words clear.

"What are you going to do with that? Curse me? What will it be? Cruciatus? Imperious? You certainly can't kill me, you don't have the ability. Mummy wouldn't be pleased."

The Follower backed up a few steps, still holding the wand out offensively. Jeanette gasped and massaged her neck; there would be bruises there in the morning.

"So I can't kill you. That doesn't mean I can't torture you a bit." The grotesque smile was back and Jeanette couldn't wait to wipe it off. She knew she had to taunt the girl just a little bit farther.

"I've worked at M.A.T.D.A. for the past two years. You think I haven't learned a trick or two?"

The Follower stepped closer. 'Perfect,' Jeanette thought.

"But you don't have a wand," the woman said with a sinister smile.

"No," Jeanette agreed, "but I don't need one."

And with a double punch any professional boxer would be proud of, Jeanette dropped the girl where she stood. The Follower doubled up with pain and tried to stop the flow of blood that came from her probably broken nose.

"Wand," Jeanette demanded. The girl didn't respond and Jeanette sighed. "If you want to do this the hard way, fine." She leaned down and wrenched the wand from the Follower's hand. Then, on reflection, she aimed it and Stunned her.

Jeanette took one last look at her surroundings, just to make sure that she wasn't leaving anything behind. Then she stepped outside of the room. It appeared that the woman had been her only guard. She quickly sealed the door behind her and tried to think of a way to get out without being caught.

"I suppose there's no other choice," Jeanette muttered with a grimace. She pointed the purloined wand at herself and intoned, "Before I lose my nerve, turn me from my beautiful self, to that hideous creature, over there by the shelf."

Jeanette didn't have time to check a mirror. She simply had to hope that it worked. She set off at a run and noticed that her pace was different, and her hands had changed. Now, providing her face was altered as well, it looked like she found a way out.

* * *

"Come along, Hermione, dear. We're going to visit a good friend."

"I'm coming, Mistress," Hermione replied.

Together Hermione and Lucretia Disapparated and found themselves in a simple stone chamber. Hermione just stood there, the blank look on her face unchanging.

"Narcissa? Narcissa, darling, are you here?" Lucretia cried out.

The old woman came out from the shadows. She looked from Lucretia to Hermione, confusion written plainly on her face.

"Oh, come, Narcissa," Lucretia said with mild disgust, "take off that disguise, it doesn't do a thing for you."

There was a flash of anger in those deep grey eyes; it soon passed. "Milady, it is not a disguise. You know that, we've been over this many times. This is what was done to me, in return for my service to him." Narcissa Malfoy said that with nearly as much hatred as Lucretia did.

"Oh, yes, I had forgotten. Now to business. I want you to unlock her powers." Lucretia pointed at Hermione who was still standing in the corner.

Narcissa stepped closer to look at Hermione and recoiled. "Is that Hermione Granger?"

Lucretia smiled and nodded. "Actually, it's Weasley now. I thought you might recognize her, after all she did attend Hogwarts with your son."

Narcissa turned away. "I have told you many times, Milady, my son is dead. Do not speak of him."

Lucretia just smiled in her sinister way. "Oh really?" She turned to Hermione. "Hermione, please tell us all you know about Draco Malfoy."

Hermione seemed to come to life, like one of those machines that dispensed information. "Draco Malfoy, son of Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy. Attended Hogwarts for seven years, made a prefect in his fifth year. After graduation, he disappeared."

Narcissa shook her head. "No, he was alive then."

Hermione continued. "Was seen many times fighting at Voldemort's side, believed to be the new right-hand man of the Dark Lord." Lucretia winced. "Then, two months after the True Destiny Massacre—"

Narcissa interrupted. "That's where he was murdered!"

"—Draco Malfoy met Ginny Weasley. They fell in love and were married before leaving the country."

"No!" Narcissa said violently.

"Yes!" Lucretia replied gleefully.

"Upon their return to London," Hermione continued, but Lucretia cut her off.

"Thank you, Hermione, that will be all."

Hermione nodded and returned to blankness. Lucretia was thinking about something and Narcissa was feeling ill. Her son had married a Weasley? No. It was a lie.

"You know what, Narcissa?" Lucretia said thoughtfully. "It's your son that I'm after! Imagine that, I had no idea he was a Malfoy."

Narcissa looked up sharply. "What do you mean, Milady? Your plan said nothing about a man."

"I knew that there was a man who was part of this, but I never dreamed it was your son! I suppose that this is what comes from not getting proper information. Remind me to kill our spies, will you, Hermione?"

"Yes, Mistress."

Narcissa was still caught up in the revelation that her son was alive. "You won't kill him, will you, Milady?"

Lucretia turned, fury on her face. "Does it matter to you? You pledged allegiance to me, Narcissa. Are you going to break that oath?"

Narcissa was shamed. "No, Milady. I apologize, a moment of weakness."

The fury disappeared. "I forgive you. Now, can you unlock her Narinhah powers?"

"This girl is a Narinhah?" Narcissa asked sharply. "What you ask of me, Milady, is impossible. Perhaps five witches, or even six, could do it, but one of average power...it's impossible. Could you not do it, Milady? You have great power."

"I've tried," Lucretia said with a sigh. "Either there's been a permanent lock placed on her or I'm going about it the wrong way. Damn that Albus Dumbledore! He's meddled with her, I can feel it. A perfectly good witch ruined thanks to him."

Narcissa said cautiously, "Perhaps you should send her to him, and he will unlock her powers."

"Have you lost your senses? They'll take her back!"

"No, Milady, you don't understand. Send her still under your spell. Then have her tell Dumbledore that she wants to experience her full power. Dumbledore will unlock it, and then she'll immediately return to you."

Lucretia twirled a strand of her blonde hair around her fingers. "Hmm, that could work. Hermione did say he's retired so he probably doesn't know she's been kidnapped. Alright, I'll do it. It would be worth it to have a Narinhah on our side." She turned to Hermione. "I want you to go to Dumbledore, tell him that you want him to unlock your Narinhah powers, and act normally. He is your former Headmaster, you like him. Understand?"

A bit of the real Hermione shone through. "I understand perfectly."

Then she turned and left. But, unbeknownst to Lucretia or Narcissa, something was happening in Hermione's mind that wasn't supposed to be happening. It was small, almost useless, but in the farthest corner of her brain a thought of her own was blossoming.

'I wonder what my family is doing right now.'

* * *

She made it down one corridor with out being spotted. But as she caught sight of the exit, she also saw a Follower, one who was big, burly, and incredibly intimidating. Jeanette swallowed hard and suddenly felt her age for the first time in years. Trembling slightly, she walked toward the Follower.

"Stop and be recognized," said a low raspy voice. The Follower peered at her and Jeanette prayed her disguise would work. "Oh, it's you, Parkinson. Aren't you supposed to be guarding the prisoner?"

Jeanette breathed a quick sigh of relief. "I, uh, left someone else in my place, I need to eat."

The Follower looked at her suspiciously. "Who?"

"Er..." Jeanette hurriedly thought of a few girls who had been Slytherins when she attended Hogwarts. "Nott?" It came out as a question.

"Nott! What were you thinking? She's not capable of watching the prisoner, she can't even watch television!"

"You're right," Jeanette agreed, "I don't know what I was thinking, you'd better go replace her." Then as quickly as she could without running, Jeanette headed out the door. She was just crossing the lawn, when the Follower called her back.

"Wait, Parkinson, what's wrong with you? You look funny." Comprehension dawned on her as Jeanette could feel herself changing back. "Stop! Escape! The Prisoner has escaped! Seize her!"

Jeanette took off running. She didn't stop, didn't try to cast a spell with the stolen wand, she just ran. Curses were being shot at her, but most missed. Someone hit her with a disarming spell and the wand flew out of her hand. She ran even harder, and could hear voices shouting curses and obscenities at her as she raced on.

She didn't stop, despite the fact that her body was screaming at her to rest, until the sounds died away. She had run through streams, bushes and shrubs, fallen and picked herself up again. She was miserably lost. Jeanette didn't know where she was in the first place, now she worried she would never find her way back home. She had run like never before and couldn't breathe. She was a mess and bleeding from many cuts. It was getting dark and she was in unfamiliar territory without a wand. In other words, she was in serious trouble. 

Gasping and trying to get her breath back, Jeanette started wandering aimlessly. She needed a house, preferably one with a fireplace.

Then her prayers were answered. Not too far off there was a modest cabin, with smoke pouring from the chimney. Jeanette forced herself just a little farther and managed to knock twice on the door. It creaked open.

She instantly recognized the man standing there, though it had been over twenty years since they had last seen each other. He hadn't changed one bit since their school days except for being older. It was the same face, the same robes, the same hair, and the same scowl.

"I'm not sure that you remember me," Jeanette began in a hoarse voice, "but we went to school together. I'm Jeanette Mills, and I desperately need your help!"

She saw the recognition in his eyes. "You!" he growled.

And Severus Snape slammed the door in her face.

* * *

Ron was ready to have a nervous breakdown. He, Sirius, and Remus had been trying for an hour to place a tracking spell on Hermione. So far, it wasn't working.

"Argh! We'll never get this right!"

"Patience, Ron," Sirius said calmly. "We will."

Ron nearly screamed, but he contained himself. Through tightly compressed lips he replied, "I want that woman dead. You know, if there was one thing Lisa would have been good for, it would have been telling us how we could destroy Lucretia."

Remus sighed. "Ron, for five minutes, stop making malicious comments about Lisa. I know you think she's partly responsible for Hermione's current predicament, but she's gone now. We have more pressing issues to address and your pettiness is not getting Hermione back any faster."

"Remus, do me a favor and quit being so goddamned superior. You aren't my teacher anymore. I'm an adult and I'm in the middle of a crisis. Considering the situation, I think my attitude is perfectly acceptable."

Remus' face darkened. "Ron, I may not be your professor anymore, and I agree, you are an adult, but you are also being a prick."

Sirius stepped in between them and looked bewilderedly from one to the other. "What is the matter with you two? You're grown men. Stop acting like children!" Sirius grasped at his hair in frustration. "I think Lucretia poisoned our water supply and we're all going crazy! There hasn't been so much conflict and cruel words in M.A.T.D.A. since it was started!"

Ron was staring at Remus in a curious way. "I'm sorry, I should have realized."

Remus stared back at him, surprised. "What are you talking about?"

"I just didn't really think about anyone else's feelings besides my own. I should have realized what you were going through as well," Ron said calmly. His arms were crossed over his chest. 

Now Remus was looking at him shrewdly. "If you're thinking what I think you're thinking, I ask you not to say anything about it."

Sirius was still very confused. "What are you two talking about?"

They exchanged a glance and from that moment on there was a silent agreement between the two of them.

"Never mind, Sirius," Ron said. "Let's keep working on the tracking spell."

"Well," Sirius said hesitantly, "while you two were bickering, I think I figured it out. Look, there it goes."

Eagerly they all bent over the map. A small dot labeled Hermione Weasley appeared in the most unlikely place.

"Wait, this can't be right," Ron said. "This says she's here in M.A.T.D.A.!"

"Chancellors! Chancellors!" A magical voice was booming from every wall in the room. "She's back! She's back! Hermione Weasley's back! Shall I bring her up?"

"Yes!" They all screamed back.

"Oh, my god," Ron said in a daze. "She's actually here, she's actually here!"

"She must have escaped. If anyone could do it, Hermione could!" Sirius said joyfully. "Come on, let's go meet her, we'll have to ask her some questions. And the most important is how to remove the binding spell."

They walked out of the room into the corridor where Shirley was coming their way, closely followed by Hermione. Ron stopped dead in his tracks and Hermione looked at him, flashing him her crooked smile. But instead of feeling extremely happy, Ron felt like something was wrong.

"Wait a minute," Ron said quickly before Hermione reached him. "That's not Hermione!"

Before anyone could move or even register what Ron had said, the pseudo–Hermione rushed at him, brandishing a knife.

* * *

"Severus! Severus, open this door! It's a life or death situation! I know you don't like me, but please, I need your help."

After what seemed like a century, the door finally creaked open again. Snape stood in the doorway glaring at Jeanette menacingly. 

"What do you want Miss Mills? What are you doing out here?"

"It's Dr. Mills, actually. And allow me to explain."

"Pray do," Snape replied, without moving to let her in.

"You're not going to let me in, are you?" Jeanette asked, already knowing the answer.

"I want to hear your story first. This should be very interesting."

So Jeanette launched into the story. She told him everything that had happened from the kidnapping to the most recent events. The expression on Snape's face didn't change at all throughout her tale, until she reached the end.

"Lucretia," he said in his low growl. He didn't sound angry exactly, more like annoyed.

"I take it you know who she is?" Jeanette asked curiously.

"I'm probably one of the few men who have ever met the woman." Snape sighed. "Fine, Dr. Mills, come inside and I'll light a fire to send you back to M.A.T.D.A."

"Thank you, Severus," Jeanette said gratefully.

Snape turned abruptly, causing Jeanette to bump into him. "Listen to me, Dr. Mills, I would prefer if you would refrain from familiarity. We weren't exactly friends at Hogwarts."

"What shall I call you then? Mr. Snape doesn't roll trippingly off the tongue."

"Professor Snape will do just fine," he replied and entered the cabin.

Jeanette stepped inside and was amazed to find what appeared to be a hotel suite inside. There was a refrigerator, indoor plumbing, a king–sized bed and a television set. That surprised her most of all; Snape didn't strike her as the type who liked television. Snape walked to the fireplace and lit a fire.

"There you go, Floo Powder's on the mantle," Snape said. "Now, leave my cabin."

"Wait," Jeanette said, grabbing his sleeve. He gave her a frosty look and she immediately let go. "I need to ask you something! Do you know anything about raising the dead?"

She took him by surprise. "What?"

"I told you about Harry's wife. I want to bring her back, but there's a difficult potion involved and I know you used to be good in that class..."

"I teach it now, but why should I help Potter get his wife back? I want nothing to do with any of this."

"I know you never liked James or Lily, and so I can see why you would be hesitant to help their son, but Lisa could be the key to stopping Lucretia. I need your help."

Snape looked at her curiously. "Don't you work with Lupin and Black at M.A.T.D.A.? Get them to help, they were always so clever." He said that with heavy sarcasm. 

"Professor Snape, I know you didn't like me back at Hogwarts, but please, show some compassion. I'm asking you to assist me with a very complex and potentially dangerous potion," Jeanette was almost begging. 

"You know nothing about me, Dr. Mills. I could be a Death Eater for all you know."

Jeanette shook her head. "I know more about you than you think. People at M.A.T.D.A. have spoken of you."

"If the stories you've heard are from Black and Lupin, they're highly inaccurate. I wouldn't believe a word they say."

Jeanette found herself defending her employers. Snape had not changed much from the nasty child he was. She secretly suspected that everything Remus had told her about Snape was true.

"Sirius and Remus are not liars!" Jeanette calmed down. "Are you going to help me or not?"

"I'm afraid I don't have the time right now. Go, run back to your friends, I'm sure they're worried about you."

Jeanette glared at him. "Fine. I'm leaving." She started towards the fireplace and threw some powder on the flames. She was about to step in, but then turned and faced Snape again. "If you change your mind, you know where to find me. Just remember, by helping me you could be helping the world." There was no response. Jeanette sighed. "Very well. M.A.T.D.A.!"

And she disappeared.

* * *

Meredith was not only concerned, but she was exhausted. When she excused herself from the conference room earlier it was on the pretense of work, but her entire career regarded Lucretia. She had been through everything that she and Jeanette had learned about the witch, looking for something that might give them a clue. But it was hard without her best friend there to help.

She and Jeanette had spent so much time researching that they had become really good friends and now Meredith was experiencing real pain at her friend's capture. There was nothing she could do either. She simply had to wait for something to happen.

Damn Lucretia! She ruined everything! Meredith grumbled a bit more as she shifted through some papers on her desk. There were a few books too, but nothing of interest. Then in one there was a picture that caught her attention. It was of a famous painting in a museum and it reminded her of something. She couldn't place it though. The book was entitled Talismans of Famous Witches and Wizards and next to the picture of four people were four magical objects. There was definitely something familiar about the pictures, but Meredith just couldn't figure out what it was.

'Oh well,' she thought, 'I'm sure it will come to me eventually.' 

Then she glanced at the empty desk next to hers. Holding back tears, Meredith rushed out of the office to join the others.

* * *

The first thing that Harry heard was a high pitched scream. He rushed towards the sound and was completely surprised by what he saw. 

Everyone had crowded into the hallway. Sirius was trying to hold them all back. Remus was supporting Ron who was pressing a cloth to a wound in his arm which was bleeding freely. Perhaps what surprised Harry the most was the unconscious form on the ground who still had the bloodstained knife clenched in her hand.

"Is that Hermione?" Harry asked in disbelief.

Remus, Sirius, and Ron looked at him. Ron shook his head. "No. It's an imposter." He winced and pressed the cloth firmer against his arm. "I wasn't quick enough."

"You were pretty quick," Sirius replied. "She was aiming for your chest."

"Are you sure that's not Hermione under Lucretia's spell?" Harry persisted. "I know that she wouldn't attack you of her own free will, but..."

Ron growled. "You think I wouldn't recognize my own wife? She's your best friend as well, Harry. Take a closer look."

Harry bent down and pulled the Hermione–like hair away from the imposter's face. Ron was right; there was something strange about the facial structure.

"If that's not Hermione," Harry said slowly, "who is it?"

"I suspect we'll find out soon enough," Remus pointed out. "Polyjuice Potion no doubt, after all, Lucretia has complete control over Hermione."

"But why would Lucretia go to all of the trouble of sending a false Hermione?" asked a different voice.

Ginny and Draco came on the scene. Ginny flinched slightly when she saw the cut on Ron's arm, but she repeated her question. "Why go to so much trouble?"

"I don't know," Ron said. "Assassin? Hermione could easily get in here, especially since we would be so happy to see her. Then she'd just kill as many of us as she could before she was caught ."

"Let's go into one of the conference rooms," Sirius said. "Daniels, take her into one of the prison cells. Once the Potion wears off send someone to us, but don't leave whoever it is alone. The rest of you, go about your business."

Everyone else dispersed and Harry, Ron, Ginny, Draco, Remus, and Sirius wandered into yet another conference room. Meredith entered a moment later. 

"Perhaps we'll be able to get answers from whoever it is," Harry suggested.

"I sure hope so," Ron replied glumly. "I'm beginning to think that we haven't made any progress at all."

"There's a reason for that," Draco said. All eyes turned to him and he shrugged. "We haven't."

* * *

Jeanette flew out of the fireplace and saw to her utter delight that she was back at M.A.T.D.A.. The absolute white of the waiting room enveloped her like a cozy blanket. As fast as she could, Jeanette rushed to the receptionist's desk. Shirley was sitting behind the desk reading a magazine.

"Shirley, I'm back!"

Shirley looked up and pursed her lips in distaste. Jeanette remembered belatedly her appearance was less than perfect.

"And you would be?" Shirley asked.

"It's me, Dr. Mills! I have to talk to the Chancellors, it's an emergency!"

Shirley's eyes widened slightly. "Dr. Mills?" she asked hesitantly. Then she shook her head. "How do I know it's you?"

Jeanette was confused. "Shirley, what are you talking about? Of course it's me! Let me in, I don't have my wand."

"I can't do that, Miss. I have to be certain of your identity. We've already had one infiltration today, I can't let it happen again."

Jeanette's sharp hearing caught the one important word in that sentence. "Infiltration? By whom?"

"Someone pretending to be Hermione Weasley. Now, Miss, if you really are Dr. Mills, what is the code word?"

"Which one? Do you want my personal code word which is orca, or do you want the all access override code which is P–1–R–1–O–2–N–0–G–8–S–5. Satisfied yet?"

"Not quite," Shirley replied cooly. "Anyone could have gained access to our code words. What are the Chancellors middle names?"

"Sirius' is Polaris and Remus' is Ares. Now, please let me in!"

"If you really are Dr. Jeanette Mills, then what's my husband's first name?"

"You don't have a husband Shirley. Remember, I tried to set you up with a bloke from the Ministry?"

Shirley's eyes went wide. "Dr. Mills? It's really you? Oh, my, we've been so worried! Everyone will be right thrilled to see you!"

"Shirley, Lisa Potter, have we lost her?" Jeanette asked urgently.

Shirley bowed her head. "Lisa Potter's been gone a few hours now."

"Oh, dear, I was afraid of that. Alright, let me in, Shirley, I have to talk to the Chancellors."

Shirley did as she was told and tossed Jeanette a battered wand. "There you are, Dr. Mills, the emergency wand. Just return it when you've got a new one. Go on in."

The large green bubble encased her and she fell through the floor.

* * *

"We've made progress!" Harry shouted. "We're getting somewhere!"

"Oh really?" Draco replied, raising his eyebrows skeptically. "That's why Hermione and Jeanette are still prisoners? That's why we don't even know if Voldemort is alive or dead? That's why we're not one ounce closer to stopping Lucretia before she unleashes some unspeakable evil on the world? Because," Draco added, seeing the shock on their faces, "it's obvious to me at least, that she's getting ready to do some real damage. How else can you explain that all of this just suddenly happened?"

None of them had thought of that. Harry was losing his temper again. "Your wife, Malfoy, seems to think that it's either her fault or yours. She's ready to flee the country again!"

"Well, my wife isn't always right, Potter," Draco retorted. "Don't you understand, we know nothing! We have absolutely no real evidence to go on, we don't know where she is, and we don't even know what she's after! If she wants me or Gin, then fine, then we're getting somewhere. But unlike you, Potter, I'm not going to sacrifice my wife to that bitch!"

"Why, you supercilious little prick," Harry said angrily, advancing on Draco who stood his ground. 

"Stop it!" Ginny shrieked. She stood between the two of them like a barrier. "Just stop it! What the hell is wrong with you? We should be working together, not against each other! Draco, Harry is right, you need to stop making such snide remarks! They aren't helping! And Harry, control yourself. I know my husband is acting immature and your temper is already stretched, but contain it!"

"Ginny—" Draco started, but she cut him off.

"No! I don't want to hear it! I just—I want to—I want to go home!" Suddenly she burst into tears. "None of this is fair! This shouldn't have to happen to us!" she shrieked. Then the words ran out and she just sobbed. Draco walked over to her and she cried into his shoulder. 

It wasn't until that moment that Harry realized just how pale and drawn she looked. It reminded him of the time he rescued her from the Chamber of Secrets. She looked ill and after everything that had happened, it probably wasn't very good for the baby. She had been unconscious twice and under severe emotional stress. Harry was trying to remember what Lisa had said about pregnancies. God, if she miscarried, that would be the worst thing to ever happen. It could destroy what little unity was left.

"Ginny," Harry said softly, "I'm sorry. No one has really thought of how you have been feeling. We've been caught up in our own miseries that we didn't realize how much you were suffering too."

She was still crying, but Draco's grey eyes met his green ones. Silently they apologized to one another and agreed to try to keep from arguing. Harry knew that Ron was affected by his little sister's plight as well and he had a strange look on his face as he watched Ginny and Draco. Harry knew that he was feeling jealous. He was no longer the one who solved Ginny's problems. That was her husband's role now, not her brother's. Harry also knew that for her sake, Ron would control himself where Draco was concerned.

"Now, there's no need to cry, Ginny," said a somewhat familiar voice from the doorway. "You'll get the hiccups and for everything else magic can do, we still haven't discovered a cure for that."

Everyone's head swivelled towards the door and saw Jeanette standing there. She didn't look her best, but no one cared. Her face was cut up a bit, her hair dirty and coming down, and her robes were torn. Somewhere along her journey she lost her lab coat.

"Jeanette!" Everyone cried at once.

"Did you miss me?" she asked weakly.

"Are you alright?" Remus asked urgently. "Sit down!"

Jeanette limped over to a chair and collapsed on it. "I suppose you'll want to hear my story. So I'll tell you."

"It can wait a moment, Jeanette," Sirius said. "Have a cup of tea." 

A cup appeared on the table and Jeanette smiled gratefully. "Thank you, Sirius. That's wonderful. But there are some things I should tell you. Harry, I'm so sorry I wasn't here for Lisa."

He shrugged. "It wasn't your fault. How did you get captured? Where were you?"

But before Jeanette could respond and tell them about Narcissa Malfoy, Lily came running into the room, followed closely by Suzanne Turpin. Lily was out of breath but she didn't stop until she reached her father.

"I'm sorry, Harry," Suzanne said, a bit out of breath herself, "I tried to keep her away, but she insisted that she had something to tell you."

Harry looked down at his tiny daughter who's bright green eyes shone indignantly, her thick black hair was disheveled. 

"What is it, Lily?" He asked patiently.

"I remembered what you wanted me to!" Lily exclaimed excitedly. "I remember what Auntie Lucy wanted!"

There was absolute silence in the room. No one said a word and everyone was waiting with baited breath for Lily's answer.

"What is it, Lil?" Harry asked, his throat constricted with suppressed emotion.

"She wanted a baby!" Lily said, happy that she remembered something that was obviously so important.

Still absolutely silent, all eyes in the room traveled to Ginny, who had turned absolutely white. Her eyes widened in shock and one hand flew to her mouth.

"Oh no," she said in a hushed whisper.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

A/N: Bum bum bum! Mwah ha! Cliffhanger, again! So now you know what Lucretia wants, but not why she wants it. I'm so mean.

Now, some of you reviewers are just too smart for your own good. You know who you are. I'm glad you were smart, but I'm sorry my secrets were so easy to figure out. I guess that means I have to put in so many more maddening things that I won't reveal the answers to. Oh well, I still have a few surprises up my sleeve.

To anyone who is wondering when I'll update Memories of Years Gone By, my answer is hopefully soon. I'm a bit stuck.

I had a fair amount of reviews for this chapter, but let's try to get me more!

Thank yous (and Xavi, I think you're back in the lead!):

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Amerkat: I'm glad you were finally able to review. You don't need to apologize for writing two, I like it. I'm also glad that you were surprised that Narcissa was the old woman. No one seemed to expect that which is all the better for me. Lisa may be coming back. That's for me and the voices in my head to know. And yes, Lucretia is very cool for a crazy evil witch. 

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Caitlyn: Yeah, I stopped updating at Schnoogle b/c it's too much trouble and no one was reviewing. I'm glad that you like my story and I'm sorry all you've seen is slash out there, there are some very good stories out there too. Try to narrow your search to only stories rated G – PG13 b/c a lot of slash is rated R or NC–17. Good Luck!

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Electra: Thanks for the great review! All I can say is that I put myself into the situations and tried to imagine how I'd feel, then I wrote my feelings.

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Emma: Please don't die on me! Get this girl some fan fic, stat!

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Jenny T: The truth is, since before I wrote this, I've planned a sequel that will focus on Harry's daughter Lily at Hogwarts. So when this is finished, be on look out for that!

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Kit Cloudkicker: Get off those pins and needles! J/k but I feel bad for Harry too.

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LilyAyl: Your another good guesser. Yes, Lucretia wants Ginny's child but I'm not telling you why! And Draco doesn't know, he thinks his mother is dead. More on that in the next chapter.

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maithili: don't worry about being the longest, just the fact you reviewed at all is enough for me.

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Meredith: I love cucumber sandwiches! And those books are my favorite non-HP related stories, maybe you should read them. You might like them.

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Sagittarii: I am so glad that I ended up creating the perfect villain, everyone seems to love her! And I'm surprised more people don't dislike Lisa after what I revealed about her, but whatever.

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Sybil: I wish I had 2000 reviews, that would be nice. Thanks for your support at least**.**

Veronica: I hope this chapter answered some of your questions but there is still much to uncover.

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Xavi Sweetest: Another terrific long review from you! You're getting too smart! You guessed it was Pansy Parkinson and you guessed correctly. Congratulations, I suppose. And I can't really tell you what Ginny says to Draco—yet. I won't tell you the truth about Suzi either, you're smart, try and figure it out for yourself! :-)


	11. Everybody and Their Mothers

Disclaimer: It's All Mine! Do you hear me? MINE! Nah, just kidding.

A/N: This story probably should be upgraded to PG13 because of coarse language, but I hesitate to change it. So all of you who are under 13, this is your warning, I've put in some bad words, but that's about it.

I hadn't intended this chapter to be so long, but there was so much to tell. A lot of D/G this chapter because I couldn't resist. We're nearing the end folks. Let's see, perhaps four more chapters? I can't say for sure because I'm constantly finding things that need to be put in and suddenly an entire chapter appears from nowhere.

There won't be much about Harry this chapter. I'm focusing on the others right now. It's very long, which should please you. Oh, and please, let's try and get me up to 100 reviews for this story! Pretty please!

Chapter 11: Everybody and Their Mothers

Ginny was still standing the exact same spot. Suzanne had taken Lily away quickly. No one had said anything since Lily made her dramatic announcement. Finally she spoke.

"Maybe it's not true," she said in denial. "We're jumping to conclusions."

"Ginny," Harry said placatingly, but Ginny interrupted him.

"No, Harry. This can't be happening. After everything else that horrible woman has done, now she wants my baby!" Ginny managed to keep her voice level.

"Gin, sweetheart," Draco began.

"Don't sweetheart me, Draco," Ginny warned. "Effective immediately, I'm quarantining myself. I won't leave M.A.T.D.A. until this is all over."

"I think that is an excellent idea," Remus inserted. "And I think everyone here should abide by it."

"What?" everyone cried at once.

"None of you should go anywhere. If we all stay here, then no one else can be kidnapped. I'm sorry to restrict your freedom, but it's for the best."

No one said anything. Ron was staring at his shoes, Ginny was beginning to cry, Draco was trying to comfort her, and Harry was staring blankly at the wall. Eventually he looked at Remus and spoke.

"You're right, Remus. We can't let Lucretia get at Ginny. We have to stick together and if that means staying here, then so be it."

"Harry, you actually want to be cooped up in here?" Ron asked incredulously.

Harry nodded. "At least until we get this all sorted out. It's too dangerous to leave."

Ron sighed, but he agreed. He wasn't happy about it. "I'm going to regret this."

Sirius cleared his throat. "Now that we have that all sorted out, perhaps Jeanette can tell us her story."

Jeanette smiled slightly. "As you wish." Jeanette recounted the entire tale, leaving out the name of the old woman. She owed Draco that courtesy. Luckily, Sirius seemed fixated on the fact that Snape entered into her story.

"Trust that slimy git," he muttered. Jeanette laughed.

"I can't believe you, Sirius. You still refer to him as a slimy git? How old are you again?"

Sirius smiled sheepishly. "He did try to send me back to Azkaban without listening to my story."

Draco interrupted. "Jeanette, do you know the name the woman who knocked you unconscious?"

Jeanette blinked. Draco looked absolutely serious and she suspected that he already knew. She sighed. "Yes."

Harry looked excited. "Well? Who is it? We might finally have a key to getting Lucretia!"

Jeanette was still looking at Draco. It seemed to her that he was steeling himself for the news. 

"It was Narcissa, Narcissa Malfoy."

There was absolute silence. Ron, of course, spoke first and his hostility was, of course, aimed at Draco.

"This is just super! You're mother is a Follower! Any secrets you've been hiding from us, Draco?" Ron asked sarcastically. "Are you one as well? And Ginny actually fed me all that bull shit about your parents being dead! And I actually believed it!"

Ron finally had the effect of breaking through Draco's icy control. "Look, Weasley, I thought my parents were dead! I had no idea that my mother was alive or that she was working for Lucretia! I'm sick of your insinuations! I renounced the Dark Arts and I have no intention of going back so just bugger off!"

Ginny placed a hand on his shoulder, but he shrugged it off. "Draco, wait..."

"I need to be alone." He left the room and everyone turned to look at Ron. 

Ron was furious. His fists were clenched and he was gritting his teeth. Had Hermione been there, she might have been able to soothe his temper, but her absence was the root of the problem. Ron grew so angry that he lost control of his anger and something exploded; something BIG.

Simultaneously, all of the windows in the room shattered and everyone ducked to avoid the shattering glass. Ron seemed astonished at his lack of control.

"Ron!" Sirius howled. "That's it! I can't let you behave this way anymore. Your composure leaves much to be desired. You're endangering us with your behavior, and that isn't permissible. We allowed you to get away with it before because of the situation, but there is no reason for such an outburst."

Ron looked angry. "What about Hermione? We still haven't made any progress. I want her back, I miss her!"

No one said anything. Instead they looked at Harry, for his reaction.

Instead of growing angry at Ron's selfishness, Harry looked defeated. "I do too," he said softly, before leaving the conference room.

Sirius watched his godson leave and summoned a security guard. "Kevin, please escort Mr. Weasley to Detainment and leave him there until he's cooled off." Sirius addressed Ron who was very shocked. "Learn to control yourself, Ron. Until you can, stay there."

Ron allowed himself to be removed from the room. He still had a dazed look on his face. When the door closed, Sirius turned to those who were left.

Meredith looked very surprised at Sirius. "Sirius, was that really necessary?"

Sirius glared at her, and Remus quickly interrupted before there was another argument.

"Jeanette, you said you approached Snape asking him if he would help you with a potion. What was that about?"

"I found a way to bring Lisa back. It's necromancy. Look at this page I took from Lucretia's library." She handed the scrap of paper to Remus who looked at it carefully.

"Interesting," Remus remarked pensively. "Can you decipher this? It's in an ancient language."

"I'll use a translating spell," Jeanette shrugged. "The rest of the book was in English. I didn't get to see all of it because Lucretia came in, but apparently it can be done. I'd like to try it."

Sirius looked worried. "I don't know, Jeanette. This is dangerous and it's playing with black magic. We shouldn't risk it."

"Sirius, if we could bring Lisa back it would solve most of our problems. She might even have a way of getting Hermione back."

Sirius looked like he was caught between two opposing camps. Finally he gave in. "Alright, Jeanette. You can try, and I'll leave the entire Potions Ward at your disposal. Just please be careful. And we want Lisa back whole. If something goes wrong..." he trailed off. "Let me just put it this way, Harry is desperate for his wife back. But I do not want to put him through the suffering of losing her again if something goes wrong. He is not to know about this. Is that clear?" Sirius looked directly at Ginny when he said that.

"I promise not to tell him, Sirius," Ginny said. "I wouldn't do that to him."

"Good," Jeanette said briskly. "So we're settled. Ginny, please come with me, I'd like to give you a check up." She saw the fear in Ginny's eyes and hastened to reassure her. "I'm sure nothing's wrong, but we should check just the same."

Ginny nodded. "Alright."

They left, leaving just Sirius, Remus, and Meredith. A moment later Meredith excused herself as well. Sirius, brushed some of the broken glass of the table, put his head down, and sighed deeply.

"I'm too old for this, Moony. Haven't I seen enough Dark tyrants to last me a life time?"

Remus smiled. "Come on, Padfoot. You know that you'd hate to live a boring life. Lucretia adds...er...spice to our lives."

"By murdering and kidnapping those we love," Sirius said bitterly. "I'm worried about Harry."

"So am I," Remus replied. "You may be his godfather, but you don't have the market cornered on worrying about him. He reminds me so much of James."

Sirius smiled sadly. "Me too. God, I miss Prongs so much sometimes. And Harry is a living reminder of my mistakes."

Remus patted him on the back. "Don't be so hard on yourself, Padfoot. You couldn't have known, none of us did. Had you remained their Secret Keeper, you'd probably be dead."

"But Lily and James would be alive." Sirius shook his head. "Let's stop this morbid discussion. We have to get Hermione back before Ron goes insane."

Remus smiled slightly. "You sounded so much like a father when you grounded him. You would have made a great dad, Padfoot, why haven't you married?"

"I spent twelve years in Azkaban," Sirius said wryly, "and another few years after that on the run. It wasn't exactly the best opportunity to meet women. What about you?"

"You mean besides the entire werewolf thing?" Remus grinned. "I've been busy."

Sirius gave him a 'look'. "That's a pretty thin excuse."

Remus was about to retort when Shirley came bursting into the room, short of breath. Her ridiculous hairstyle wobbled dangerously, and she teetered on her tall heels. The distinct sound of crushing glass made Sirius wince.

"Uh, Chancellors? We've got another problem."

Sirius groaned. "Oh great. What now?"

Shirley hesitated. "Er, Draco Malfoy isn't in M.A.T.D.A."

"What?!" Sirius and Remus said at once.

"He's nowhere to be found!" she cried.

"We told him that no one was to leave," Remus said angrily. "Now we've given Lucretia another hostage. Damn him!"

"Come on, Moony," Sirius said tiredly, "Let's go tell Ginny."

"What next?" Remus asked the ceiling. "A plague? Mass murder? We can't take much more. Shirley, send in a team to get this room cleaned up."

"Come on." Sirius opened the door and they left. 

* * *

"I can't believe that Sirius locked me up in here!" Ron muttered. "I am not a child!" 

Ron was pacing his tiny cell which was painted a dull grey. There was a tiny window at the top of the wall where an infinitesimal ray of light shone down on his head.

"Malfoy just makes me so mad!" Ron punched the wall really hard. His eyes filled with tears and he cradled his fist. Then to his astonishment, there was a hole right where his hand had been. An eye was peering through and was staring at him insolently. Ron yelped and jumped back.

"Sorry about that," the person attached to the eye apologized. "I didn't mean to scare you."

Ron inched closer to the hole. "Who are you?"

"For a short time, I was your wife." Ron glimpsed the girl's even white teeth as she grinned at him through the hole.

"You! You tried to kill me!" Ron exclaimed furiously.

"Yes, but I didn't succeed." She sounded disappointed. "It was going to be my first kill. Now I'm trapped in this shoe box." She grinned amicably again. "I must say, this place has the heaviest security."

Ron rushed at the hole, stuck his hand through, and grabbed the girl around the neck. She gurgled and struggled to breathe.

"Where's my wife?" Ron growled. The girl gasped and choked. "Tell me!"

"It's—difficult—to—talk," she managed to say. Ron loosened his grip. "I don't know. I was sent here to kill Harry Potter, but you blew my cover so I had to try to kill you."

"What's your name?" Ron asked, slightly curious.

"Don't you recognize me, Ron?" The tone of her voice changed and Ron knew that he knew her from somewhere, but he wasn't sure where he had heard that seductive tone before.

The sound of a door opening filled his ears. The girl laughed. "Oops, I'm off to be tortured. It was nice to talk to you again, Ron. Goodbye."

And she was gone. For a moment Ron wondered if she had really ever been there.

He sat down on the rickety cot and heard it groan under his weight. His head in his hands, he did something he hadn't dared to do in a long time. He cried.

He cried because he missed Hermione, because he was afraid something had happened to her. He cried because he was neglecting his children in his search for her, although he knew he could trust his family to look after the boys. And he cried because he was fighting with people he cared about and who were only trying to help him. He was acting abominably.

Ron didn't understand why he suddenly had no control over his emotions. The past few days, especially since Hermione had been taken, he had become angry, frenzied, and an absolute prick to his friends and his sister. This loss of control frightened him because he was becoming reckless with his magic. He had never realized he was capable of such power until he blew the conference room apart. Something ugly was conquering his spirit and he knew he had to fight it. After all, Harry had lost his wife too, permanently it seemed, yet he was acting almost normally. Ron felt a surge of anger; he was always expected to behave like the Great Harry Potter. With a struggle, Ron conquered that surge and felt a slight pressure remove itself from his chest.

"Good boy," said a voice suddenly. "The best way to get rid of him is to fight him. It's nice to see you're putting up a fight."

Ron nearly jumped out of his skin. There wasn't just one person standing there, there were two, a man and a woman. For a brief second Ron thought that Harry and Ginny had come to visit him, but the fact that the two people were nearly transparent dispelled that idea.

"Who are you?" asked Ron, in awe. "And what are you talking about?"

The two diaphanous strangers exchanged a fond smile. This time the woman, who had red hair just like his sister, spoke.

"We're the Potters, Ron, and we're here to help you."

Ron promptly fainted.

* * *

Sirius and Remus had no trouble at all tracking down Ginny. She was resting comfortably in the Hospital Wing, still being checked out by a nurse. She told them that Jeanette had left to begin on the necromancy spell, after quickly assuring her that nothing was wrong with her baby.

"Glad to hear it, Ginny," Remus said warmly. Then he hesitated. "But I'm afraid we have some bad news."

"Your husband has left M.A.T.D.A. without permission," Sirius said, interrupting. "We don't know where he is."

Instead of the hysterics they expected, or at the very least the worry and anger at Draco's sudden departure, Ginny took the news with unusual calmness.

"I know," she said quietly.

"What!?" Remus and Sirius exclaimed at the same time.

Ginny nodded. "He stopped by a little while ago and left me a note. It said that he was going out, he'd be back soon, and not to worry."

Remus gaped at her. "How can you not be worried? He is in inexplicable danger!"

"I know that, Remus," Ginny said rather harshly. "I've not suddenly gone daft. I'm very worried, but I trust my husband."

"Do you have any idea where he is?" Sirius asked, trying to keep his tone level.

"Of course. You would too if you'd think about it." Seeing the blank stares she sighed and said, "Were you listening to Jeanette's narrative? Or were you only focused on the fact that Snape was involved?"

It took them a minute, but comprehension finally dawned on them. Remus saw it quicker.

"Of course," he breathed, "he's gone after his mother."

Sirius' head whipped up to stare incredulously at his best friend. "He couldn't possibly be that stupid!"

Ginny was offended. "I'll remind you, that is my husband you're speaking of."

Sirius waved her objections aside. "Narcissa Malfoy is as dangerous and unprincipled as her husband was. There's no telling what she might do to him."

Ginny paled slightly. "But he's her son!"

Sirius snorted. "You think that would make any difference to a woman who's probably killed more times than Lucretia has?"

He regretted his words when Ginny lost the rest of her coloring. Remus attempted to comfort her, but she would have none of his pity.

"I don't want you to do anything about this right now. We'll wait and see." They tried to argue with her, but her mind was stubbornly set. 

"I'm sure that Draco is perfectly safe," she said fiercely. She added in an undertone that Sirius and Remus didn't hear, "He'd better be or I'll kill him myself."

* * *

Draco wasn't sure how he managed to find the place. The directions he managed to wring out of an old acquaintance were vague at best. Still, he had come upon the old manor that the man had described and Apparated inside. It was surprisingly devoid of furniture.

She was expecting him. He wasn't sure how she knew he would come, since he had told no one of his intentions. It seemed like the logical thing to do. So she was waiting for him, sitting regally in a stone chair towards one end of the stone chamber. She looked exactly like he remembered her, although perhaps a trifle older.

"I assumed you would come," said the soft low voice of his mother. "It was only a matter of time, once I discovered Dr. Mills had escaped."

"I thought you were dead." Draco made this a flat statement. There was no emotion in him for this woman, he neither loved her nor hated her, though he was slightly repulsed by her manner.

"And I thought you were. One thing we can be certain of is that Lucius is. I buried him myself."

"That's good to know." Draco almost cursed himself for that inane statement. However, he knew he had to keep his wits about him. Other people may have been taken in by his mother's age and projected frailty, but he had known her for twenty–four years before she was "killed" and he knew just how maniacal and unscrupulous she could be.

"I assume you have a purpose in being here," his mother said, jarring him back to reality.

"Yes," he said, recovering himself. "I want to know what Lucretia wants with my wife and my child."

Narcissa hissed. "Then it's true, you have married that Weasley whore."

Draco felt himself grow hot with anger. "She's no whore, she's my wife!" Calming immediately and returning to his icy and infuriating attitude, he resumed. "I would like to know what Lucretia could possibly want with my child."

But Narcissa wasn't listening. She regarded her son with something akin to sadness and disappointment. 

"Didn't your father make it clear who you are?" she almost pleaded. "You're a Malfoy, a bloodline that goes back to the days of the Founders! We were respected once, but now look what you've done to your family name! You married a Weasley, even though you know how much our family hates them. You've disgraced me, Draco."

Draco was taken aback. He had not gone there to rectify his relationship with his mother, but rather for information only she could supply. This hatred and cruelty was quite unexpected and deeply resented. Her cold grey eyes watched him for his reaction. He would not give her the satisfaction of losing his temper again.

"Perhaps. Perhaps I've disgraced you and every other Malfoy who ever lived. But what you, Mother, and father never realized is that the Malfoy name is hated! Even those in Voldemort's—" here Narcissa cringed, which Draco enjoyed with relish, "inner circle detested us. And do you know who hated you and father most of all?" Draco's voice lowered and he spoke his next words like he was cracking a whip. "I did. I do. When I renounced the Dark Arts, it wasn't for Ginny, it was to prove to myself that I didn't have to be like you. I would be better than you. And I am."

She had not spoken or moved to interrupt throughout his entire tirade. When she spoke, the malevolence was gone from her eyes, only to be replaced by a suspicious glint. 

"Very well," she said calmly. "I waited for you to come to see if I would feel any remorse, should my mistress choose to kill you. I discovered the answer is no, which is for the best."

"Yes," Draco agreed amicably, "it is for the best. Please don't get in my way, mother. I do not want to have to soil my hands by killing you, but I will if you threaten my family."

He turned around and Disapparated. Narcissa Malfoy sat there for a moment. She was joined shortly by another woman who appeared thoughtful.

"I see what you mean about him, Narcissa," Lucretia said pensively. "I do hope he won't make trouble."

"You may do with him what you wish, Milady," Narcissa said firmly. "There is no loyalty to me left in him."

"Bitterness does not become you, my dear," Lucretia said jovially. "Do cheer up. If you'd like, perhaps I can turn him back into the way he was before he met that Ginny Weasley. I shouldn't be difficult, his mind will be like putty after I dispose of her anyway. All that would be left to do is mold it. Who knows, maybe we can allow the child to be raised by it's father."

Narcissa bit her lip. Lucretia's plans, although pure evil genius, were often crazy and foolhardy. She was not sure she approved of the current one at all.

"Is it really necessary to use this child, Milady?" Narcissa asked hesitantly. "Could we not find another _suitable_ woman to be the carrier?"

Lucretia laughed. "I know you dislike Virginia Weasley and her family, but it must be her blood, since no child resulted from my, er, relations with the vile creature. It's a pity that all the rest of her siblings are male."

Narcissa understood, but didn't like it. She suddenly realized that she had been taken into Lucretia's confidence and granted a little known piece of information. So Lucretia's love for, ahem, Voldemort was all part of an elaborate scheme. Everything suddenly made much more sense now. Narcissa was intelligent enough to realize that Lucretia probably had loved him in her own way, but that there had been much more to it than that. This satisfied her in some way.

"I must be off, Narcissa, darling," Lucretia said spiritedly. "I want to make sure that Hermione has come back in one piece."

She instantly disappeared. Narcissa remained there, reflecting over the encounter with her son, whom she had thought dead for two years. She realized belatedly that the reason she had grown so angry with him was because of how he looked.

Almost exactly like his father.

* * *

Albus Dumbledore was tired. He was often tired these days, but on that afternoon he felt especially tired. The logical reason for his fatigue was that he had just come back from a long discussion about Hogwarts with Professor McGonagall. She needed his advice. However, that in itself was not enough to make him so extremely tired. He was just pondering this and preparing to sleep when a knock on the door startled him.

"Hermione?" He asked dubiously. "What on Earth are you doing here?"

"I need your help, Professor," came the reply. "I need a favor. May I come in?"

"Of course, my dear. You are always welcome here." Dumbledore ushered her into the room. She primly took a seat and folded her hands in her lap. "What can I do for you?"

"I am a Narinhah, is that not correct?"

The question took him by surprise. "When did you discover this, Hermione? I had intended to inform you this year."

She shrugged. "I'm not sure. I simply know it. Now, what I need from you is to unlock my powers."

Dumbledore smiled at her sadly. "I'm afraid I can't do that."

"What?" She seemed panicked. "Why not?"

"There are two reasons. The first is that you have no idea how to use such powers and you must be trained. Narinhah powers are not to be taken lightly. They can cause much destruction and you must be schooled in the using of them. The second reason is that I'm not the one who locked them."

Hermione was aghast. "Then who did?"

Dumbledore shrugged, smiling. "I don't know. I must assume you came to Hogwarts with your powers locked. You see, for many years I was unaware myself that you had such spectacular magical abilities. When I discovered it, I kept a close eye on you, but I had no way of granting you your powers without knowing who locked them."

Hermione was both frustrated and dismayed. "You mean, until I find that one person, I may never gain use of those powers?"

"That is correct," Dumbledore said casually. But out of the corner of his eye, he was watching her every reaction."

Finally she seemed to get a hold on herself. "Thank you anyway, Professor. I must be going now."

Dumbledore was smiling merrily, but he took out his wand and froze her in place.

"I'm afraid I can't let you leave, Hermione. At least not until I've removed that hypnosis spell."

* * *

Jeanette Mills was tired, frustrated, annoyed, and surrounded by bunny rabbits, which did not improve her disposition. She had been trying for hours to at least make some progress in the spell which would hopefully bring Lisa back. Thus far all she had managed to do was create rabbits, occasionally a potted plant, and after one attempt, a toilet. She was ready to give up, but she knew she couldn't. 

She had the entire Potions Ward hopping to her command, yet they were no farther than when they began. Jeanette sighed once and then instructed one of her assistants to add more turtle shell to the cauldron. It exploded.

Jeanette was ready to go on lunch break. She made her way over to the cafeteria and selected her lunch. She was joined later by Remus who had surprising news for her.

"Draco Malfoy's left the building," he said by way of greeting.

"Bloody hell!" Jeanette exclaimed, causing many of the others in the room to stare at her. "Beg your pardon, but didn't you just tell him that no one was to leave?"

"Of course I did, but he's simply being a Malfoy. It's amazing how many hard heads we have here currently in M.A.T.D.A. Oh, and I thought I ought to warn you, Sirius is still obsessed with the way Snape treated you."

Jeanette rolled her eyes. "Snape hates me, plain and simple. Other than almost leaving me to die of thirst, and not offering me a shower, he wasn't very terrible."

"Sirius and Snape have hated each other for many years. You could have told Sirius that Snape cooked you dinner and you chatted away like old friends and Sirius would have still been upset. There's nothing you can do about it. He might plague you about the details though." Remus shrugged as if it couldn't have meant less to him.

Jeanette smiled mischievously. "I didn't even tell you about all the mean, nasty things he said about you."

"About me in particular or about M.A.T.D.A. in general?" Remus asked curiously.

"Oh, he accused you and Sirius of making up stories about him. He is rather childish."

"Oh, really?"

That didn't come from Remus, it came from someone else. I think you know who. That's right, Severus Snape himself. He tilted his thick black eyebrows in a distinctive 'annoyed–not–amused' look. Jeanette could feel herself blushing.

"Professor Snape! What are you doing here?" she asked.

Snape glared at her. "I'm here to save the world. You informed me that I could find you here, and I assume you're making little or no headway. I will help you, provided that you keep Black away from me."

Remus tried to cover a laugh by turning it into a cough, but Snape looked at him suspiciously. Remus decided it would be best if he took himself off too.

"I'll let you two get to work," he said hastily. "Goodbye."

He practically ran out of the cafeteria, and had to track down Sirius. One thing was for certain, those two could not meet without there being bloodshed, and there was enough of that as it was.

* * *

When Ron revived, the ghosts of Lily and James Potter were still there, hovering over him and looking concerned. For a long time nobody spoke. Eventually Ron broke the silence.

"This is ludicrous."

"Surely you've encountered ghosts before, Ron," Lily Potter said kindly. "I know there used to be hundreds at Hogwarts."

"I have met ghosts before," Ron replied indignantly, "but encountering the ghosts of your best mate's dead parents is a trifle unnerving. How do you know my name?"

They looked at each other and shrugged. "We've been watching you, Ron," James Potter said. "We're here to help."

Ron looked from one to the other and back again. "I have to go get Harry."

"No," Lily said, softly but decisively. "He can't see us. Only you can because of the great need. Don't bring him into this."

"But, you're his parents," Ron protested. "Don't you want to see him?"

They exchanged another glance, a sad one this time. "Of course we do," James finally said. "More than anything. But it would be a waste of time and he wouldn't believe you. He has enough to be concerned with at the moment. We're here to help you."

Ron backed up until he found himself in the corner. He began to panic. "Why me? And what were you talking about, fighting and not letting him win?"

Lily came closer. "Ron, have you been feeling strange changes lately? Almost as if you're a different person?"

Ron froze. How had she known?

"Ron, you are in a dangerous place right now, and truthfully, you are not yourself." James hesitated. "Your body has been infiltrated by the spirit of Lord Voldemort."

Ron would have laughed if he could, but the seriousness of the moment prevented him. Both Lily and James looked absolutely resolved.

"You're both mental," he said, shaking his head. "That makes no sense. There has been no trace of Voldemort, we think Lucretia has killed him."

Lily sighed. "She killed his body, but his spirit, his essence, is much harder to get rid of. And it has selected you as a host, Ron Weasley."

Ron wasn't laughing now; he was shaking. "This is barmy. I would know if I had Voldemort inside me, wouldn't I?"

James pushed his ghostly glasses up the bridge of his nose. "Haven't you felt it, Ron? The temper, the anger, the dark power? Soon, he'll challenge you for the body, and you have to resist. That's why we came. To help you resist."

Ron wanted to deny it again, but he couldn't. As much as he was scared to admit it, it made sense. The idea of Voldemort in his body was not only repulsive, but terrifying. He had no idea what to do.

Lily sensed his apprehension. "Don't worry, Ron," she said gently. "You are strong. You can fight. If you do it properly, with our help, then you can defeat him once and for all. But I will warn you. It will not be easy, it will be traumatic, and you will want to give in, but you can't."

"Why are you doing all this for me?" Ron whispered.

"Because our son needs you. He has already lost his wife, we could not save her, but he will not lose you. And because we knew your parents, Ron," James said, "and we owe them."

Ron's mouth was dry with fear. All of a sudden a torrent of dark thoughts and feelings flooded through his body. Cruel thoughts and the desire to do even crueler actions caused him to cry out. He could feel the hate burning with intensity inside him. His brown eyes gleamed eerily. He smiled wickedly. Then it passed and he was himself again. 

As he recovered, Lily whispered to James, "Oh, I do hope he can do it. Harry needs him."

James whispered back. "He needs Hermione. This would be so much easier if she were here."

Ron lay down on the cot and trembled. His thoughts were focused solely on Hermione, this time without resentment or anger, but simply with longing. All he wanted was her. Instead he got Voldemort.

* * *

Suzanne Turpin had made her heart–breaking phone calls and began on the preparations for the funeral. Only Harry was being stubborn as to the disposing of Lisa's body, which was currently housed in the M.A.T.D.A. morgue. 

"Burying her is like admitting we gave up!" Harry shouted. "I won't do that!"

"But, Harry," Suzanne said placatingly, "she's dead. We have to put her to rest and you must come to terms with it."

Harry glared at her. "According to Lisa herself, she's not dead. She's in Lucretia's other realm. I have not given up hope of bringing her back!"

"Harry, be reasonable. Please. This is important to the rest of her family, that we have a funeral."

Harry's look softened. "Wait just a few more days, Suzi. Please. If nothing has happened then I will consent and resign myself to the fact that she's never coming back."

Suzanne nodded. "Alright. Just a few more days. And, Harry?"

"Yes, Suzi?"

"Please don't get into anymore trouble."

Harry smiled slightly. "I'll try."

Suzanne walked away and Harry was just about to go visit his children when he was ambushed and wrapped in a tight hug.

"Mrs. Weasley?" he choked out in disbelief.

"Oh, Harry, you poor, poor dear! I was distraught when I heard! Arthur just told me everything, and I must say it's an awful lot for one person to take in at once. Ginny's here? And pregnant? Your poor Lisa, oh, and Hermione!" 

Mrs. Weasley seemed to be on the brink of tears and Harry really had no idea what to say to her. He was oddly pleased that she was there. Mrs. Weasley had become almost a mother to him and he appreciated everything she had done for him.

"Mrs. Weasley, I'm very glad you're here," Harry said as warmly as possible. "I suppose you want to see Ginny?"

Mrs. Weasley dabbed her eyes with a handkerchief. "Oh, if it's not too much trouble. I haven't seen her in so long."

"I'll take you to her, and I can assure you, she's perfectly well and right on schedule with her pregnancy according to the resident doctor."

Harry escorted her to the Hospital Wing. He realized he ought to go tell Ron, but Ron was in solitary confinement. Harry sighed. If it wasn't one thing it was another.

* * *

Ginny had been overjoyed to see her mother and the two had a very touching reunion. Ginny was almost sorry to see it end, but she wanted to talk to Draco when he returned, which was very soon after Mrs. Weasley's arrival. With the promise of more information and a formal introduction to her husband, Ginny managed to get her mother to leave the room. Draco entered almost hesitantly.

"Draco Ignatius Malfoy, you had me worried sick!" Ginny scolded. "But at least you left me a note. Did you find out what you wanted to from your mother?"

Draco should have realized that Ginny would figure out where he went. He wasn't too surprised at her intuitiveness, heightened, she claimed, by her pregnancy.

"Not exactly," he replied, moving to sit next to her so he could put his arm around her shoulders. When he thought of how he used to treat her and the rest of her family, Draco could only marvel that she had chosen him to be her mate.

"I'm sorry. You asked about the baby, didn't you?"

"Yes," Draco answered. "I had to. She didn't give me a straight answer though. And I discovered what she thought of our marriage."

Ginny smiled slightly. "I bet she hated the idea."

"She did. I told her in no uncertain terms that I really didn't care. I think she was insulted."

"Good," Ginny said with emphasis. "Serves her right. You realize you have to meet my mother now, don't you? She's somewhere in M.A.T.D.A. right now."

Draco sighed. "I understand completely. I just hope she doesn't hate me too much."

"She doesn't seem to," Ginny said thoughtfully. "Not as much as my brothers do anyway. And the surest way to that woman's heart is with grandchildren, so you're ahead of the game."

Draco placed his hand on her belly and felt his child kick. "You do understand," he said in a quiet voice, "that I won't let anything happen to this child or to you."

Ginny snuggled deeper into his strong arms. "I understand, and I have complete faith in you. I wouldn't have married you if I didn't."

Draco and Ginny sat like that for awhile, until they were called away. As they sat, in relative peace, Draco's thoughts returned to the conversation with his mother. It had struck him where she must have known it would irk the most—in his pride. He still had pride in his name, even if he had renounced everything it stood for. It was difficult to explain. His prejudices, which were buried deep, had not all disappeared. It was only for his beautiful wife that he made the effort to be different. He had learned to respect, at least, Potter and Granger, but his hatred of 'muggleborns' had been instilled at birth and those kinds of prejudices were hard to dispose of. He was not the needlessly cruel child he had been at Hogwarts, but he was not the benevolent hero the way Potter was. Two years wasn't enough time to change everything about him, but he was making an effort. 

His thoughts also drifted towards Lisa, wondering what kind of person she had been and if she had been anything like himself. They had much in common, it turned out, but no time in which to compare notes. She had died a hero's death, in a way, attempting to make up for her past indiscretions.

Draco sighed and stretched. Perhaps there was hope for him yet.

A/N: I had to cut it off here. That was very long! I now have 2 favors to ask you, my reviewers:

1) Please get me up to 100 reviews!

2) If you have a suspicion about what's going to happen, please don't state it in your review! If you're right, you might ruin the surprise! But if you want to e–mail me to discuss your idea, I'd be more than happy to read it and respond. I like to get e–mail so don't be afraid.

An extra special thank you to Amerkat, Electra, Mitie Mouse, and of course, Xaviera Xylira for taking the time to write me such amazing reviews!

Thank yous (I got a decent amount of reviews this time around, and my gosh were they long!):

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Amerkat: I hope you've read the latest installment of MOYGB, because it's almost done. I'm not quite sure what to say to your review except, wow, thanks! I really appreciate everything you said and it was pretty darn long! I hope that this chapter cleared a few things up for you, but of course when I clear a few things up I have to work hard to make them foggy again! Otherwise my story wouldn't be as entertaining, now would it?

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Crazycutee831: please keep reading, it gets better!

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Electra: wow, you wrote a long one too! I'm so proud! Now you know what happened to Voldemort, but there are still more surprises to come.

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Kit Cloudkicker: that appears to be the case, doesn't it? I wonder why...

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LilyAyl: here was another extremely long chapter, I hope you liked it.

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Meredith: I'm glad you really liked my last chapter. I know it's been so long since I updated, but I've been busy. I know, lame excuse. *Seshat bows her head in shame*

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missunderstood: thank you, I do so love to be brilliant. I like D/G fics a lot too and there was a lot of D/G in this chapter. Please, by all means, tell your friends. I hope you also read Chapter 23 for MOYGB. 

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Mitie Mouse: it is rather hard to keep Harry so depressed, but I seem to be doing an ok job of it (I hope). And it's quite possible that Remus will get the girl because I'm tired of fics where Sirius is the one sought after and no one thinks of poor Remus the werewolf. I happen to like Remus a lot more than Sirius, not that I hate our old friend Padfoot, it's just he doesn't sound very attractive in PoA, does he? And it's okay to like Malfoy. That means I'm doing a good job.

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Phoebe1912: I hope this chapter had enough D/G for you, I did my best.

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Sehrish: please keep reading it's going to get better!

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Stella: I'm glad you like it, and I can assure you, Jeanette is not evil.

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Veronica: gee, thanks! I'm truly flattered. It's a nice feeling to be worshiped.

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witchy_grrl: yes it actually has a plot, that's what I'm most proud of!

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Xavi Sweetest: it wasn't exactly like the peace corps, it was just that kind of work. Writing Lucretia is fun because I get to be completely random and yet completely evil. If you check back in Chp. 7 I've told you what a Narinhah is. And yes, if you want you can borrow my sarcastic remarks, just please give me credit! If there's one thing I'm truly gifted at (besides, perhaps, my writing) it's coming up with sarcastic remarks. Reading your reviews is always so entertaining, I love them! And I'll tell you a secret: in the override code that Jeanette told Shirley, is the word Prongs (you might have seen that) and the numbers make up my birth date.


	12. A Bit of History

Disclaimer: I hereby disclaim any ownership of Harry Potter or related names and characters. I got the idea about the time clock from _Sabrina, the Teenage Witch_. 

A/N: This chapter is so long, but so necessary. A lot of background history in this chapter including Lucretia's real name! There's a quote by Harry S. Truman in here, see if you can find it. If you know your history, it shouldn't be difficult. Tell you what, if you're the first or second person to find it, I'll name a character after you. It's not an "exact" quote because British people don't say "ain't". 

For those of you who haven't read Memories of Years Gone By, or hardly remember it, in that story I've said that Jeanette was a year ahead of the Marauders, the same age as Lucius Malfoy. She was a Gryffindor Seeker and James was a Chaser. You really should read it though, it's pretty good.

~Wednesday–Early Morning~

Chapter 12: A Bit of History

Harry slept for hours. When he woke he played with Lily, stopped in to check on James, and began to wander aimlessly around M.A.T.D.A. again. There wasn't much he could do and he felt rather helpless. He Apparated briefly to his department at the Ministry, to see if there was anything he could do there, but it was a slow morning for Aurors. For some reason, Harry was loathe to tell them the story of his children's kidnapping and his wife's death. He knew there was nothing they could do that M.A.T.D.A. wasn't already trying.

His head ached from all of the issues that he was trying to deal with. He had to destroy Lucretia, rescue Hermione, attempt to get his wife back, calm Ron down, have a long talk with Draco, and convince Ginny that none of this was her fault. It was a long list. There were things that he could begin on, however, like talking to Draco or Ron. He opted for Draco first, since he didn't want to risk Ron's temper just then. Finding Draco wasn't that difficult.

He was examining an old journal that supposedly some Follower wrote in. Harry had to cough a few times before Draco looked up. His characteristic sneer was firmly in place.

"Potter," he drawled. "What can I do for you?"

"Why didn't you become a Death Eater?" Harry clapped a hand to his mouth. Where had that come from? He hadn't intended to ask such an obviously personal question; it was as if someone was controlling his tongue. Draco turned paler and his eyes narrowed.

"What business is it of yours, Potter?" he practically spit.

Harry felt genuinely ashamed. "I apologize, Malfoy. I don't know what came over me."

Draco looked at him curiously. After a few moments of silence, he sighed and spoke. "I suppose, that of everyone, you ought to know. But you must promise that you won't speak of this to anyone."

Harry, eyes wide open, only nodded. Draco rubbed his eyes. What was he doing? He was going to have a genuine talk with some one who up until a week ago had been his enemy. He was definitely getting soft.

"If the ceremony had come up before the True Destiny Massacre, I probably would be one. But I thought my parents were dead, and I suddenly realized that the Dark side held nothing for me. My parents weren't there to push me forward, and I really was apathetic toward the whole issue. Quite frankly, good or bad, it doesn't matter to me. You see, Potter, good and bad have no meaning. What constitutes good? What constitutes bad? When I met Ginny, I chose good, for her, for the time being. However, I honestly believe, that if Lucretia wasn't after my wife and child, I would leave this place without a second thought and leave you to sort out your own mess."

Harry had been silent during all of this. Now, he nodded. "I never really had the choice, you know. To me, good was all there ever was. I'm the defender of the innocent, protector of the weak, general champion to everyone. Even if I wasn't directly involved, I couldn't turn my back on these people. Even if they weren't my best friends. It's just what I have to do. I have to help. In the war between Good and Evil, I can't let Evil even win one tiny scuffle."

Draco regarded him silently for one moment. "I suppose that's what makes us different, Potter. I only look out for what's in my own best interest. I always have. If I don't look out for me, no one else will. You, Potter, always have someone looking out for you, so you're free to help others."

"Oh, I don't know, Malfoy. I'd say you're learning to be more like me."

Draco made a face. "Oh, perish the thought."

Harry laughed. "Nice talking to you. I have to go speak to Ron now. By the way, have you spoken to Mrs. Weasley yet?"

Draco actually looked nervous and timid. "No. Why do you think I'm hiding in here? I can't face her, Potter. Facing her brothers and father was one thing. Arthur barely acknowledged me and I've met all the other Weasleys before. But what can I possibly say to her mother?"

Harry thought he recognized what was behind Draco's somewhat amusing fear. "She's nothing like your mother, you know," he said abruptly. "She's the real motherly type. Nearly cares about everyone. I'm sure she'll accept you."

Draco nodded forlornly and left the room. Harry picked up the book he had been looking at, which Meredith said she had found at the abandoned hotel two days before the children were taken. He leafed through it quickly and found an interesting reference that struck him as potentially important. He read:

__

Dear Journal,

Milady said something interesting this evening in a burst of anger. She mentioned her family. I never realized she had family before. I ought to have, I suppose, since everyone does, but Milady isn't the type one would think ever had a mother. She was ranting about the Creature, as she often does, and something slipped out. It was about her heritage and how in some distant way they were connected. I wonder what she meant. She made a rather odd comment as well. "Why, after all I did for him, after everything he put me through, after he cast me off like a used rag, and he didn't even give me a child!" You can see why that would strike me as odd, Milady neither seems like the type who'd have a mother nor the type to want to be a mother. No matter. I shall find out the answer eventually, I always do. I hear far more than I am supposed to around here. I guarantee that in a few days that enigmatic statement will be made clear. Until then.

Harry was very puzzled. He curiously turned the page to the next entry.

__

Dear Journal,

I found out. I knew I would. I wasn't supposed to hear, I believe I'm the only Follower who knows Milady's infamous plan. I now know what Milady wants with a child! And why it must be a child from her and the Creature. Only, it appears that Milady has found another option. A different couple, she says, will do just fine. And she has them right where she wants them. Her plan goes into action very soon. I shan't write it down though. That would only be asking for trouble. I'm a trifle nervous, all the commotion will begin soon. I only joined with her because she pledged to destroy the Creature. That has been my life's ambition since the age of 15. And now it looks as if it will finally be accomplished.

That's where it ended. The bottom of the page was torn off and Harry's stomach dropped. He was so close to finding out the answers to his most pressing questions. He slammed his fist down on the table in frustration. The door creaked open.

"That's why we put that in here. It was driving everyone up a wall," Meredith smiled at him. "But we've looked through that thing over a million times. There's nothing that can help us now."

Harry looked at the battered book in his hand. "Who wrote it?"

"Take a look for yourself. It's written on the inside cover."

Harry opened the faded cover and looked at the name imprinted there. C. Chang. His insides froze. He took a moment to convince himself that there were a million people named Chang in the world, the likelihood of it being the same Chang was slim. Yet...

Meredith noticed his reaction and showed concern. "Harry, are you alright?"

Harry forced himself to speak. "Wha–What happened to her? Maybe we can find her and talk to her."

"The Follower?" Meredith shook her head. "That would be difficult, Harry. She's dead."

"Dead?" Harry's mouth went dry. 

"Yes. As she said herself, she knew too much. What's wrong? Did you know her?"

"I–I think so." Harry continued to stare at the book, the only thing left of a girl he had once dated. "How?"

"How did she die? How do all of Lucretia's victims die? She was poisoned. I'm sorry if you knew her. How?"

Harry found that the words came easily. It made sense, in a weird, twisted way. "I went to school with her. I dated her. She was my wife's best friend, a bridesmaid in our wedding. She was a good person."

Meredith was sympathetic. "I'm sorry if she was a friend, Harry. I wonder why she changed sides."

Harry already knew the answer and he hated himself for not noticing sooner. It was all there in her diary. _That has been my life's ambition since the age of 15._

"Cedric Diggory," Harry said softly. "Voldemort murdered her boyfriend. Then her family. I never realized how it affected her. I should have. I should have seen the pain she was in. She wanted Voldemort dead so badly, she turned to Lucretia. She must have been part of the reason Lisa became one. In a way, it's all my fault."

"What? Harry, how is this C. Chang person becoming a Follower and dragging your wife down with her, your fault?" Meredith was aghast.

"It was my fault that Cedric died in the first place. I never understood how she forgave me for that. We didn't date very long, there was always that ghost between us, but we remained friends and she and Lisa were very close. I should have realized. When contact between us stopped, I thought nothing of it. What I don't understand is how Cho could have been part of the plot to take our children."

"She probably wasn't. Perhaps she even tried to prevent it. She died before it happened, Harry. We found her body in the hotel, with her diary nearby. I'm sorry."

Harry brushed her attempts to comfort him off. "It's nothing. I only wish she had given us a real clue as to why Lucretia wants Ginny's baby. This makes no sense." He pocketed the diary nonetheless. "Do you mind if I keep this?"

"No, go ahead. We have no use for it. We made copies of the important entries. Maybe you'll have better luck. Who knows, something may show up."

"Thanks, I'm going to check on Ron. Perhaps Sirius will let him out of Detainment soon."

He left the room and Meredith sighed. She rooted through some papers, looking for the copies. Harry had reminded her of the journal's existence and now that she knew C. Chang had some connection to this whole mess, there might actually be something there. The only thing she was able to come up with was this:

Lucretia + Voldemort = Ginny + Draco

What on earth could those two pairs of people have in common? And how was a baby from Ginny and Draco supposed to destroy Voldemort?

* * *

Ron shook violently, the cot upon which he was curled up, pounded against the wall. This paroxysm was the worst yet. His eyes rolled and his hands clutched the sides of the bed so tightly that his hands had turned white. When it passed he felt as if he had the flu. He was sweating, his skin was pasty, and he continued to tremble.

"Good boy, Ron," Lily said gently. "The time is getting closer. You have to keep fighting."

If there was one thing Lily regretted about being a ghost it was the inability to hold objects. Ron really needed someone to press a cold cloth to his forehead. He was burning with a fever.

"How long is it between them?" Ron asked weakly.

"About five minutes," James replied worriedly. "Not nearly long enough."

"Describe what it feels like, Ron," Lily urged. "It could be helpful."

"It feels like I'm possessed, which I am," Ron said crossly. "Being Voldemort is terrifying, all the dark desires, the hatred, the fury, the need to kill. I don't like it."

Lily and James exchanged a worried glance. "Do you feel like killing anyone in particular?" Lily asked anxiously.

"Yes," Ron said, suddenly apprehensive. "Harry. We can't let him in here. I might try to kill him."

"When he finds out you're ill, he's going to want to be here," James said. "I know my son."

Ron laughed feebly. "After what I've said and done, he'd probably leave me here to die. I wouldn't blame him."

"Nonsense, Ron," Lily admonished. "Harry would never."

Ron started to convulse again and began to cry out in pain. His thoughts were a torrent of pain and frustration and a desire to rip his skin off. He started to scream at the top of his lungs and Lily and James backed away unintentionally. When the seizure subsided, they came closer.

"Ron, can you hear us? They're getting closer. When the time comes, will you be ready?"

"To–do–what?" he mumbled. 

"To throw him out. Do you realize what Voldemort would do with your body? Don't let him, Ron. Don't let him destroy your world."

Harry chose that moment to visit. When he saw his best friend's condition, he cried out. Ron knew he looked like death warmed over and tried to comfort him, but could only make spluttering noises.

"Ron! Oh, no, have you been poisoned as well? Tell me you haven't!"

"No, Harry," Ron managed to say through clenched teeth. "Go away."

Harry was shocked. "Have you gone daft? You're seriously ill! We have to get you to the Hospital Ward."

"No!" Ron said, grimacing with pain. "I'm not sick. I'm possessed."

Lily and James had frozen in surprise. They realized that eventually Harry would come, but they hadn't prepared sufficiently. Their son was standing before them, fully grown and full of concern for his friend's condition and they longed to speak to him. Lily even moved forward and tried to place a hand on his shoulder. It went right though him and she smothered a sob.

Harry, meanwhile, was trying to comprehend what Ron had just said. "Possessed? How could you be possessed? By what?"

Ron laughed humorlessly. "What could be correct, I suppose, but I think it's by whom. And the answer is Voldemort."

Harry froze. His life was on a downward spiral which seemed to last forever. What more could possibly happen to him and his friends? Attempting to keep his tone light, Harry said, "I thought we agreed that Lucretia killed him."

"His body, yes, but his blood–sucking spirit, no." Ron seemed to be fading.

"You're possessed by Voldemort?" Harry repeated in disbelief.

"Yes, and that's why you have to leave." Ron then started muttering. "He's not listening."

"James, we have to get him out of here! Oh, why can't he see us?" Lily wrung her hands.

"You must be mistaken. How could you possibly have him inside of you?" Harry asked.

Ron could feel it coming and he was losing patience. He would dearly have loved to say, 'You're dead parents told me', but he didn't think that would be a good idea. "I think I'm the position to know, Harry," he said in barely more than a whisper. "Now go before I try to kill you."

"No," Harry said firmly. "You need me, I'm not going anywhere. I was there for Lisa, wasn't I? I'll be here for you. You need _someone_."

"Yes," Ron said, gritting his teeth, "but that person can't be you. Oh, no, here we go."

He started thrashing again. This time however, instead of screaming, he turned to look directly at Harry. Harry was taken aback by the feral look in his eyes and the gruesome leer. The person in front of him hardly resembled Ron Weasley at all.

"Harry Potter. How delightful. You came right into my hands." The voice was entirely different. It was high pitched and every word had evil connotations. Ron looked deranged and Harry made for the door, ashamed as he ran. "You aren't going anywhere, Potter."

Lily covered her eyes. "Oh, I can't watch! James, do something!" she shrieked shrilly. 

James was indecisive. What could he do? He had to try to call Ron back. "Ron! Come out of it! Fight him, damn you! Think of Hermione! Think of your children!"

The struggle was painfully obvious. Harry watched in a stupor from the doorway. Ron threw himself off of the bed and started rolling on the floor. He had his own hands around his neck and seemed to be strangling himself. He heaved as if he was trying to dispel something from his body, which he was. His last meal came up instead of Voldemort. His shouts of pain, made Harry, Lily, and James wince in empathy. Finally he lay still, unconscious.

Harry started forward cautiously. "Ron?" he whispered. "Ron, wake up."

He bent forward to feel Ron's pulse which fortunately was still beating strong. After a minute in which Harry held his breath, Ron stirred and blinked dazedly. When the world came into focus, he looked up at Harry.

"I told you so," he said weakly.

* * *

Albus Dumbledore scratched his head, deep in thought. It was quite a powerful hypnosis spell and so far he had only managed to dent it. Hermione was sitting on a stool, unresponsive. She had been shut off, in a way, so that Dumbledore could try and remove the spell. He was mulling over the situation when a woman appeared in the room in a cloud of purple smoke. He barely glanced at her, but his words were directed at her.

"In some circles, it's considered polite to knock, you know."

Lucretia didn't have times for niceties. She stamped her foot childishly. "What are you doing, you old fool? Leave her alone. I knew this was a stupid idea."

Dumbledore regarded her sadly. "You know, I once considered Lord Voldemort my greatest mistake, but you are catching up."

Lucretia smiled brightly, momentarily forgetting her anger. "Really? How kind. Now come with me, Hermione dear."

Hermione stood up, ready to obey. Dumbledore saw her. "Sit down, Hermione." Hermione sat.

Lucretia's fury was back. "What have you done to her?"

"I haven't been able to remove your spell yet, so I enacted one of my own that would enable me to countermand your orders," Dumbledore said calmly.

"You always were a meddlesome old fool. Why can't you just stay out of this? I'm so close!"

Dumbledore shook his head. "What happened to you? You were never like this at Hogwarts. Of all of the boys for you to fancy, why did it have to be Tom Riddle?"

Lucretia clenched her fists. "You know nothing of it," she hissed. "How dare you?"

"I know that he stole one of the most promising witches I'd ever seen from her true purpose. And I will not let you do the same thing to Hermione."

He struck a nerve. Suddenly, Lucretia showed the tiniest fraction of remorse. She remembered what her life had been like before Voldemort, she'd had friends and people genuinely liked her. Then she roughly pushed this terrible thought away.

"I needed him. His ancestry was the attraction. That's all there was."

"No," Dumbledore shook his head sadly. "You loved him once. I saw it. I tried to warn you." Dumbledore moved to Hermione's side and took a book down from a shelf. "I'm simply reminding you of who you once were, Gertrude."

She turned quickly. "What did you call me?" she said fiercely.

"I called you by name. I hope you haven't forgotten. I know I haven't. The day that I called you and tried to help."

All at once, Lucretia was pulled into a memory, one she had repressed for fifty years.

**_Gertrude McFadden walked fearfully down the hallway until she reached Professor Dumbledore's office, which was situated near his Transfiguration classroom. She stopped in front of the door._**

As she hesitated, absent–mindedly rubbing the silver Prefect's badge on her chest, she worried. What could he possibly want? She hadn't done anything wrong. She was a good student. Now she was in trouble.

With a slightly trembling hand, she knocked twice on the door to Professor Dumbledore's office. A voice within told her to enter. She took two steps through the door. Dumbledore smiled at her and motioned her forward.

"I'm not angry with you, Gertrude. You've done nothing wrong. Come closer."

She moved up to his desk and took a seat. Fawkes the phoenix was awake and stared at her. It began to make her uncomfortable.

"If you're not angry, why am I here?" she burst out.

Dumbledore was still smiling, but the smile seemed a little fixed. "You're at the top of your classes, and most likely will be made Head Girl next year. Is that not correct?

"Well, yes, sir. I am. I'm very diligent about my studies. I would like to be Head Girl." She fell silent, waiting for Dumbledore to come to the point. He didn't beat around the bush for long.

"I've noticed that you have been spending a lot of time in the company of Mr. Riddle."

Gertrude was astonished; this wasn't what she had been expecting. "Well, yes, sir, I have. I fancy him a bit. He's a real gentleman and treats me considerately. Better than some of the others. Is there something wrong with it?"

Dumbledore frowned slightly. "No, not exactly. I just want you to be careful. Promise me you will be careful."

"Why, of course, sir," Gertrude said, eyes wide. "I'm always careful."

He nodded. "Very well. You are dismissed."

She curtsied slightly and left the office. Tom was waiting for her. He was scowling and Gertrude approached fearfully.

"What did he want?" Tom said harshly.

"Nothing," Gertrude lied. "A question about my last test."

Tom relaxed. "Alright then. I worried he was on to us. He knows too much for his own good."

"Oh, Tom, please, don't get in his way. He's far more dangerous than he looks. I know it."

Tom grinned. "I'm not afraid of him. He can't do anything to me. Dippet's the headmaster, not him." Pulling her close suddenly, he kissed her fiercely on the lips. She pulled away.

"Tom! What if someone were to see?"

"You worry far too much. It's not good for you. Let's go."

She followed him back to their common room, wondering all the way just how much Professor Dumbledore actually knew.

She started out of the memory. "What is it?" she asked, almost fearfully. "What is this power you have over me, Dumbledore? You haven't said a single spell." She turned her back to him.

"Gertrude." She didn't look at him. "Have you been Lucretia so long that you've forgotten your real name? I knew it was you from the moment you came in, even with that blonde hair. I daresay I preferred you as a redhead. Only you would use such an old hypnosis spell. And I suppose it was you who wanted to have Hermione's Narinhah powers unlocked."

Lucretia was shocked. "I thought you didn't know."

"I don't know what you want with her, or even how you came to have her. I'm just an old man who is too tired to be a part of the real world anymore. But while the world may not have noticed you, or ever knew you in the way they knew Voldemort, I have never forgotten you. I have never forgotten a single one of my students, no matter what they have become. To me you will always be Gertrude McFadden."

Lucretia struggled to regain her composure. "Don't call me that. Ever. I take it you haven't unlocked her powers, either."

"No," Dumbledore said cheerfully. "Because I can't. They've been permanently locked by someone, and only that person can unlock them. It's for the best. I doubt even Hermione could master them, and unmastered, Narinhah magic is dangerous."

"Fine," Lucretia spit. "Narinhah or not, she's valuable to me. We'll be leaving now."

Dumbledore chuckled. "You don't actually think I'm going to let you take her away do you?"

But Dumbledore sadly underestimated her fury and thought that he had talked her into mild complacency—for the time being anyway. He was quite mistaken. 

"Now you've done it. I'm tired of being patient. The time has come to take action, and I will have that child!"

In a sudden movement, her hand connected with his chest and she pushed him down. In another second as quick as lightening, she grabbed Hermione by the wrist and they disappeared. Dumbledore hit his head on the edge of the table and felt quite dizzy. Swearing inventively, he cursed himself for his naivete. He managed to make it to his bed. Then he blacked out.

* * *

Draco approached Mrs. Weasley nervously. He knew he had to get it over with eventually. Ginny had prodded him in the right direction and now here he was. He hadn't been afraid of her father, or even afraid when he had been surrounded by her older brothers, but he was terrified of approaching her mother. Her opinion of him actually did matter.

She heard his approach and turned. She was smiling, which Draco took as a good sign. 

"You must be Draco, the man who stole away my little girl." She was still smiling, so Draco assumed she was joking. "I believe the last time I saw you was at my son's graduation. Please, sit down."

He sat down opposite her and began to twiddle his fingers. He was quite surprised when she reached across the table and placed a hand on his.

"No need to be nervous, Draco. I only want to find out more about you. If I may say so, reports of you through my sons were never very positive."

"Well, that's because I didn't get along with any of your sons, ma'am," Draco replied uneasily.

"And I and my husband didn't get along with your father, but that has no bearing on how I get along with you. I would like to establish a decent relationship with you, Draco, if you are open to the idea. I only need to ask you one question. Why did you fall in love with my daughter?"

Draco was surprised. The question didn't really bother him coming from her, and it wasn't the same as 'Are you in love with Ginny?'. He wasn't sure how to respond to it.

"Why? Well, because she's beautiful, has a vibrant personality, she sees me for me—"

"And she's the mother of your child," Mrs. Weasley interrupted. "You're saying what you think I want to hear. That may be all true, but it's not the truth. Do you understand what I mean? I know my daughter's faults, Draco. I raised her. Not the least of which is her tendency to do things without thinking of the consequences. Such as running away with you. Now tell me the truth."

He didn't know what to say. "I don't know," he said helplessly. "I just do. It's the little things I suppose. The things that make her different from any other girl I've ever met!"

That answer seemed to satisfy her. "Good. Now, you are staying, aren't you? No more running?"

"Well..." He and Ginny hadn't discussed it yet. Her announcement about running away again had startled him. He was ready to settle somewhere. "I suppose so."

His mother–in–law nodded. "Good, I want to get to know my grandchild." She smiled at him again, and he began to feel more at ease. "Welcome to our family, Draco. Just give the others some time."

And Draco smiled back.

* * *

"Ron, we have to get Jeanette here. You need a doctor," Harry said frantically.

"What I need," Ron gasped, "is for you to leave. Please."

"Ron, you can't kill me, you don't have a wand," Harry said sensibly. 

"You were scared of me, Harry," Ron said weakly. "I saw it. I won't need a wand. Just leave." When Harry showed no sign of moving, Ron spoke to the Potters. "He's not leaving. Can't you do something?"

"What would you have us do, Ron? He can't see or hear us. You have to get him out," James said fretfully, fearing for his stubborn son.

"But I can't!" Ron exclaimed.

"Who are you talking to?" Harry asked anxiously.

Ron was on the edge of delirium. "Ghosts," he muttered. "Here it comes. Go, Harry."

Harry took a step toward the door and halted, unsure about what to do. Lily and James were silently urging him to go out but at the last moment he stayed. He went to Ron's side and took his hand.

"For ten years, I had no family. You are my family, Ron. You and the other Weasleys. I will be here for you."

The spasms began. Ron threw himself from side to side and his limbs, except for the hand that Harry was holding, flailed. When he was finished moaning and screaming, Ron turned to Harry with the same wild look as before. His mouth was a twisted grin, and a part of Harry longed to run. But it was a question of whom was holding whom now. Ron had his hand in an agonizingly tight grip, which oddly reminded Harry of Lisa as she was giving birth.

"Potter, you have ruined my life. If it hadn't been for you and you're _mother_," Ron/Voldemort spit viciously, "I would be ruling the world! And if you hadn't rescued that Malfoy brat, I would be unstoppable. Well, the meddling ends here!"

Ron's free hand reached out and grabbed Harry by the throat. Lily let out a scream no one but James could hear because Ron was too far gone. Harry squirmed and choked. His breath was coming out in rasps and he was turning blue.

"Ron, no!" Lily shrieked.

"Ron, fight him! That's Harry you're hurting, fight Voldemort!" James cried.

"Don't kill Harry, Ron, you wouldn't be able to live with yourself if you did!" Lily screamed. 

The sound of snapping bones was like nails on a chalkboard to Lily and James, as Ron broke the bones in Harry's hand. Ron's eyes went wide with horror and he forced himself to loosen his grip on Harry's neck. As soon as Ron's hand pulled away, Harry fell and scrambled to the door where all he could do was watch in horror, clutching his painfully broken hand to his chest. 

Ron's eyes bulged, he hacked and then stopped breathing. When he began to suck in air again, his body started thrashing and he cried out. His thoughts threatened to tear his skull apart. 

_Get to Harry. Kill Potter._

_No! Won't...can't!_

_Kill, kill, kill. I hate him! God damn perfect Potter! Kill him!_

No, mustn't...kill. Need help. Help, oh, God, help.

ANGER, HATRED, JEALOUSY, FEAR, CRUELTY, DARK, EVIL, FURY

Nooooooooooo! Harry, my brother, my friend.

Yeeeeesssssss! Perfect Potter, needs to be taken down.

ANGER, HATRED, JEALOUSY, FEAR, CRUELTY, DARK, EVIL, FURY

With another burst of energy and fury Ron stood up and rushed at Harry.

"Harry Potter, must kill!"

* * *

"Listen to me, Professor Snape," Jeanette said in a voice dripping with disdain. "We're making less progress than we were before you came."

"I have no idea why I am even here, Dr. Mills," he retorted in exactly the same tone. "You should be thanking me for lending my expertise to your hopeless project."

"Your expertise doesn't seem to be doing much good. Could you even try to be helpful?"

Snape sneered at her. "I'm doing my best. It isn't easy to raise the dead, you know. I've never done it before. Have you?"

Jeanette glared at him. "Of course not, that's why I asked you for your help. There's no need to be snotty."

They were surrounded by potion's ingredients, a large cauldron was heating over a blue flame, and consequently the room was sweltering. Jeanette had long ago removed her lab coat (a fresh one; she had changed after her adventure) and rolled up the sleeves of her robes. Snape on the other hand was sweating it out in his heavy black robes. 

Jeanette glanced at him and noticed that he would soon be overheated unless he changed. Her medical instincts kicked in. "You ought to change or you'll get overheated. Why on earth are you wearing those robes in the middle of summer?"

Snape's lip curled. "My choice of wardrobe is none of your business."

Jeanette grew angry. "Why are you being so difficult? I'm not some poor little child for you to bully. I haven't done anything to you."

"Oh no?" He wore a sickening smile. "That's not the way I heard it. Perhaps you don't remember it, but I do. Perfectly."

And suddenly, Jeanette did too.

**_Jeanette Mills was running down the hall, tears streaming down her face, and desperate to reach the bathroom. Damn that Lucius Malfoy. Oh, how she hated him. He had just torn her brand new robes and hexed her. Well, she had given as good as she had gotten and she'd do it again in an instant. It wasn't often she got to see Malfoy in a dress with rabbit ears._**

Despite her unfortunate condition, she laughed through her tears. Sniffling, she wiped her nose before she became a bigger mess than she already was. She was almost to the bathroom. Just a few more steps.

"What the hell happened to you?"

Jeanette looked up. Perfect, another Slytherin to torment her. She peered at him. It looked like Severus Snape, that sixth year James Potter and Sirius Black were always pranking. 

"What do you want?" she said, sniffling. "Leave me alone or I'll curse you."

"Boyfriend trouble, Mills?" he sneered. 

She glared back at him through her red and puffy eyes. She didn't even wonder how he knew her name. She was the Gryffindor Seeker after all. "None of your business, Snape. But if you must pry, it was your prick friend Malfoy."

His skin turned the color of sallow milk. "How—how do you know my name?"

"You're the Slytherin who's always the receiving end of James and Sirius' jokes," Jeanette said with satisfaction.

He frowned. "So you don't actually know me. You shouldn't judge people before you get to know them."

"Two things: 1) why would I ever want to get to know you?, and 2) it doesn't take a genius to realize that you're no good. You spend a lot of time with Malfoy, you're always being horrible to Gryffindors, and I haven't heard a single person ever say anything nice about you."

Snape was stunned and hurt. Instantly Jeanette regretted her words; even someone like him didn't deserve all of that. She was just so hurt and upset. She was going to apologize when she discovered that he was already off and running. Pushing open the door to the girl's bathroom, Jeanette collapsed on the floor and started to cry again. 

Damn Slytherins.

"Look, Severus," he glared at her, "I mean, Professor Snape, I'm sorry, but you caught me on a bad day and you can't possibly be holding a grudge for so long over that one silly little incident." But Jeanette remembered that Snape's hatred of James Potter hadn't abated any and James had been dead for twenty–five years.

Snape ignored what she said and continued to act as if nothing had happened, but there was an icy bite to his voice that hadn't been there before. "The page you swiped isn't much help. The instructions are far too general. Whomever wrote them must have been in a hurry."

Jeanette was about to retort with a nasty comment, when an idea struck her. "That's brilliant! We'll use the Clock!"

"The what?" Snape replied in honest bewilderment.

"The Time Clock. We have the only one in the world! It brings people back from the past. We'll simply bring Isis Jones into the present and ask her how she did it!"

Before Snape could protest to this hare–brained scheme, Jeanette was off and running. She stopped outside a closet and threw open the door. Housed inside was an antique grandfather clock with the words 'Time Clock' emblazoned in gold across the top. 

"Let's see, she did it in 1854, so I'll set the hands for that date. Okay, Clock, bring us Isis Jones."

The clock chimed twelve times and she opened the door. Out stepped a middle–aged woman dressed in old–fashioned clothing. She was very confused.

"Pardon, miss, but could you by chance tell me where I be?"

Jeanette smiled brightly. "Are you Isis Jones?"

More confusion. "Aye, I be Isis. But where is this unfamiliar place?" Fear wreathed her features. "Be I deceased?"

"No, no," Jeanette reassured her. "You're not dead. You're in the future."

"The, the future?" she repeated hesitantly. "Oh, dear. First Cyrus, now this!"

Jeanette was taken aback. "Is Cyrus your husband?"

"Was. Oh, dear. How do I return?"

"Is he still dead?" Jeanette asked. Snape was smirking at her and she longed to stick her tongue out at him or slap his face. 

"Dead? Why, yes, of course he is still deceased," Isis said bewildered. "Why wouldn't he be?"

"Oh no, she hasn't brought him back yet! She doesn't know how to do it," Jeanette said aside to Snape, who only continued to smirk.

"I knew there would be a problem with your brilliant plan," he said.

"Oh, stuff it," Jeanette retorted crossly. "Mrs. Jones?"

"Ye–yes?"

"Do you know how to bring people back from the dead?" Jeanette crossed her fingers.

"What? What are you speaking of?" Isis was clearly baffled.

"Oh, dear. You are a witch, correct?"

"Yes," she replied with a little more confidence. "Are you one as well?"

"Yes. Look, you have to go back to your own time and bring your husband back from the dead. Quickly, before it's too late."

"Excuse me? What you ask of me, it is impossible. It cannot be done. I think perhaps you are a tad eccentric." 

Jeanette sighed and Snape snickered; he was clearly enjoying this too much. "Eccentric I may be, but you do it. You do do it. I have written proof! Which means, if you haven't done it yet, we have to send you back so that you can do it. Alright?"

"Alright," Isis said hesitantly. She stepped back into the clock and shut the door. Jeanette gave the hands a spin until they continued to whirl on their own. It chimed twelve times and when Jeanette opened the door again there was no one inside. She sat down heavily in a nearby chair and glared at Snape.

"Don't say one word. I admit that it was a mistake, but at least now we know where she got the idea."

Snape was shaking with silent laughter which only served to annoy Jeanette more. When he got himself under control he managed to speak. "While you were conversing with that woman, I think I discovered the solution to our problem. Come with me."

Extremely curious and semi–desperate, Jeanette followed him. When they reached the cauldron where the potion was brewing, Snape picked up the scrap of paper that Jeanette had pulled out of the book.

"Look, not only do we have to say and perform the spell while we mix the ingredients, take a look at this." He pointed to an ingredient on the page. Jeanette leaned closer.

"It's mulberry root. So? We put some of that in."

"Yes, but we only put in a pinch because mulberry root is powerful and dangerous if one uses too much. But this is a powerful potion. We're trying to raise the dead, so the more root the better. Are you willing to risk it?"

Jeanette was hesitant. "How much root are we talking about?"

"One whole root," was the response.

Jeanette's eyes widened. "Are you sure? That much mulberry root could cause the entire place to explode!"

Snape nodded pensively. "I think it's the solution. I'll mix the ingredients, you be ready with the spell."

"Wait." Jeanette reached out and grabbed his arm. "This spell needs more power than a single witch can provide and you're adding the ingredients."

Snape sighed impatiently. "Fine. Get someone in here. Just as long as it isn't Black."

"Alright," Jeanette replied calmly. She walked over to the giant map of M.A.T.D.A. and tapped the dot that was labeled R. Lupin. "Remus will be here in a moment."

"Lupin? Are you sure you want his help?" He saw the determined look in her eyes. "I've seen how you act around him. Are you in love with him?"

Remus appeared at that moment just in time to hear the question. Jeanette found that words failed her faced with Snape's impertinence. Remus coughed twice to alert her to his presence and she turned around.

"Remus!" she exclaimed, turning pink. "Good, you're here."

"What can I do for you?" he asked pleasantly.

"We need your help. Two people have to say the spell and Professor Snape's going to be stirring the potion."

"Alright, what do you need me to do?" Remus asked. 

"First of all, we need Lisa's body. Can you have it sent up here?"

"Sure. Not a problem." Remus walked over to the Magical Office Announcement System (MAOS) and called Shirley. "Shirley, please have Lisa Potter's body sent up to the Potions Ward immediately."

A moment later it fell through the ceiling encased in a green bubble. Jeanette quickly checked to make sure nothing was wrong and found that everything was in order.

"Alright. Repeat these words with me, Remus and dip your wand in the potion. It won't harm your wand, I promise," she added, seeing the alarmed expression on his face. "Professor Snape will pour the rest of the potion on Lisa. If this goes right, she'll be back with us. Are we ready?"

Both men nodded. At the exact same time Remus and Jeanette began to recite the words of the spell. As they chanted, Snape added the ingredients into the cauldron and began to stir. The potion turned bright blue, then green, then red, then orange. It frothed and bubbled, and as the chanting grew louder, the potion grew thicker. Jeanette nodded at Remus, giving him the signal to dip his wand. They continued to chant as each dipped his or her wand into the thick orange goo. Snape dipped a spoon into the concoction and dribbled a few drops of it into Lisa's still mouth. He repeated this action while Jeanette and Remus continued to recite the spell. 

The chanting grew louder and louder until a great loud bang shook the building. Clouds of golden smoke filled the room and the three adults coughed and hacked, trying to breathe. Smoke surrounded them and the building shook again and again like a giant earthquake had taken hold of the countryside. Had there been any muggles in the area, they might have wondered why a wide open field had suddenly started to pump yellow smoke or why the ground trembled. Luckily, there were no muggles in the area, although the one wizard passing by at the time was very concerned.

When the movement subsided, and the smoke began to clear, the three adults looked at each other.

"Somehow," Jeanette said, from her position on the floor, and still coughing, "I don't think it worked."

* * *

All around M.A.T.D.A., everyone had only one question. 

"What was that?"

* * *

The world suddenly came back to her.

She knew who she was. She knew where she was. She was no longer a mindless drone. Everything was so clear, clearer than it had ever been before. She remembered what had happened, she remembered what Lucretia had tried to do. 

She looked to the person next to her, who also seemed to be coming out of a spell, and she voiced the first words she had spoken in what had seemed like a hundred years.

"Who are you?"

The man seemed surprised to hear words; nothing was ever spoken in that place unless it was She who spoke. Now the man found that words came easily.

"I'm Terry Boot. Who are you?"

The woman looked at him and laughed, a real laugh full of happiness and joy. 

"I'm Lisa," she said. Then she laughed again. "I'm Lisa Potter."

Terry joined her in her laughter. Only one who had experienced what they had, the total loss of self, could see the humor and the delight in the situation. Others joined them, coming from far away to bask in their new–found freedom. They were themselves again, they remembered. Their laughter seemed to fill the entire bleak world. The sun rose, and the grey was bathed in sunlight. Some people danced, others sang, grateful for the ability to speak, and others simply remembered. Lisa was one of the latter.

She remembered her husband. She remembered her children. She remembered her parents, her friends, her life. She remembered her mistakes, her faults, her crimes. She remembered what made her human. She laughed, cried, and screamed, for the sheer joy of having human emotions. She remembered that she was not just Lucretia's slave, she was Lisa. 

And boy, was it good to be back.

A/N: So...what do you think? We're nearing the end. And I dropped a lot of clues in this chapter, but they're very subtle so you might not have caught them. Remember if you have a theory, e–mail it to me so you don't ruin the surprise for everyone.

Thank yous (and yay, I made it to 100 reviews, thanks to Xavi, even though you didn't get to be number 100):

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Amerkat: I hope you liked this chapter and thanks for all the nice things you said.

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ilanya: I hope I didn't keep you waiting for too long. I actually think I got this chapter out in record time

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IM-obsessive: lucky you! You were my 100th reviewer! I'd be careful if I were you, though. Xaviera Xylira might be after you with communist penguins and evil toasters. I'm glad you liked it though.

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Kit Cloudkicker: was that weird in a good way?

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Meredith: I'm sorry you're confused. The girl in the 'shoebox' (which was just an expression for the tiny cell she was in) was the fake Hermione who tried to kill Ron. I haven't revealed her real identity yet. And there's something about Ginny's child that everyone wants, but I can't tell you what yet.

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RoxyValdez: congratulations for guessing correctly! But I bet you don't know why...and if you do e–mail me and we can talk about it.

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sehrish: thanks so much

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Stella: I'm glad you're all caught up now. Okay, Lucretia and Voldemort used to be an item, but technically Lucretia was just using him and he found out, cast her off, and she vowed revenge. Now she hates him. Is that clear? 

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Wouldnt u like 2 know: actually I would. Is it some big secret? I'm glad my story is one of your favorites.

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Veronica: the whole Ginny thing was meant to confuse, so don't worry. I dropped a few more clues in this chapter, so if you think you know, feel free to e–mail me.

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Xavi Dearest: I'm so sorry you didn't get to be 100. It's kinda ironic, don't you think? But if it weren't for you, I never would have gotten there at all. You wrote so much, I can't even respond to it all, just know I appreciate all of the compliments and have taken them to heart. I expect another terrific review for this chapter, I've worked hard on it!


	13. Death & Resurrection

Disclaimer: I wish. That's all.

A/N: This is it. The BIG one. One or two more chapters after this and I'm planning a sequel so none of you go into withdrawal (okay Xavi?). I hope you enjoy. Oh, and some of you might have been wondering where Ginny was in the last chapter, but she's a main character in this chapter. 

Geez, this chapter is long! It probably could have been two, but I wanted to get it all out while it was fresh in my mind. I expect good reviews for this one. Hmm, only 9 for the last chapter. How disappointing.

I use the word 'bloody' a few times in this chapter, and while it really doesn't mean anything in America, I know it's a bad word in Britain, so you have been warned.

No one found the quote, but it was really obscure, so it's not your fault. I just wondered if anyone might spot it.

Oh, and there's another disclaimer at the end, but it would ruin the story if I disclaimed it now. Just know that as you read, if something makes you think that I'm plagiarizing just read the disclaimer at the end.

Chapter 13: Death & Resurrection

Draco suddenly realized he was alone. Mrs. Weasley had gone home, and Draco just noticed that no one else was around. He started walking, and he ran into Meredith who was pouring over some thick tome. She was quite absorbed in it.

She didn't notice him come in so he stood behind her and glanced at the book. He recognized one of the pictures.

"Hey, I know that dagger," he said with slight surprise. "It used to be in Malfoy Manor."

Meredith literally jumped up and shrieked. Draco covered his ears and when the noise subsided he apologized for frightening her.

"It's alright," Meredith said, once she calmed down. Then she looked at him curiously. "You say that you owned this dagger?"

Draco shrugged. "Well, not me exactly, it was my father's. It was in our house for as long as I can remember. I think I remember Lucius saying something about it being a family heirloom."

Meredith was making him uncomfortable with her stare. "Really. That's quite interesting. Hmm. Thank you, Draco. You've been a terrific help."

Draco shrugged again. "I'm not sure what I did, but you're welcome."

He left her office, and Meredith returned to her book. He started to go look for his wife, since he was most comfortable in her presence, but for some unexplainable reason, his feet led him to Detainment. He honestly didn't know why because the last person he'd ever want to see was Ron Weasley, but there he was. He was peeking in various cells, all of which were empty, except one. He almost passed it by, but the strangest sight caught his eye. Potter and Weasley were fighting and it looked like Weasley was trying to kill Potter.

Quickly he yanked the steel door open and Harry fell out backwards with Ron on top of him, trying to strangle him. Frozen in shock for a moment, Draco leapt in and pulled Ron off, and shoved him back into the cell, shutting the door swiftly. Jumping back at the wild look in his eyes as Ron stared back at him through the window, Draco leaned over to help Harry up.

"What the hell was all that about, Potter? Has Weasley finally snapped?" He rather sounded at though he wished it was true.

"No," Harry said hoarsely as he rubbed his neck and clutched his broken hand to his chest. "He's possessed."

Draco scoffed. "Ridiculous. How? By what?"

Harry smiled weakly. "By whom, actually. He claims he's possessed by the spirit of Voldemort. I wouldn't have believed him either if he hadn't attacked me."

Draco peered in through the window. Ron lay crumpled on the floor and periodically he twitched. 

"He doesn't look good, I'll give him that much," he remarked, "but possessed? Isn't that a tad exaggerated?"

Harry glared at him. "Look, Malfoy, I know you don't like him and he doesn't like you, but Ron has been my best friend since we were eleven. He would not attack me like that and he was not himself."

Draco looked at Harry's hand. "Here, let me see that." Harry held out his arm and Draco made a noise. "Well, I'm not a doctor, but I could try to fix it for you. I took a few Medi–magic courses at Hogwarts." Harry nodded and Draco pulled out his wand. He tapped the hand a few times. 

Harry marveled at the improvement. "That was amazing! Thanks, Malfoy, it doesn't hurt anymore."

"Be careful," Draco warned. "It isn't fully healed."

He was watching Ron through the window. Ron wasn't moving and Draco couldn't even tell if he was breathing. 

"So what do you propose we do?" Draco asked, leaning against the wall.

Harry grasped at his hair in frustration. "I don't know, but we have to do something!"

Draco was still watching Ron, who woke up, clutched his head, and fell over again.

"I don't know either. If it's true, Weasley's going to be put through hell."

* * *

"Ron?" Lily whispered gently. "Can you hear me?"

Ron stirred groggily. "Uh," he grunted. "Where am I?"

"You're still in the cell, Ron," James replied. "Do you remember what just happened?"

Ron struggled into a sitting position. His skull threatened to burst and he was feverish. His tongue felt thick and his mouth was dry, making conversation difficult. His head was swimming and he was very disoriented. Objects were blurred and he was on the edge of delirium.

"Harry, I killed Harry," Ron said panicking. He tried to stand up, and only fell over again.

"No, no, Ron, he's not dead," Lily hastened to reassure him. "It's alright."

Ron curled into a ball and shook. "He should kill me."

Lily and James were stunned. "What! Why would you say such a thing?"

"If Voldemort wins my body, he'll destroy my world and those I love. Harry should just kill me."

"Ron, stop that!" Lily admonished. "We told you, you have to fight him!"

Ron could no longer hear her. He was hallucinating and his mind was spinning. Everything in the room became something else. Reality had no meaning for him. He was lost inside his own mind. He was trapped and he couldn't find his way out.

* * *

Jeanette and Snape were arguing. Remus was sitting back with a slightly amused smile. This scene had been playing for what seemed like hours and it was wearing thin.

"We have to start over!" Jeanette yelled angrily. "We can't give up now!"

Snape sneered. "I can. I don't know what I'm doing here in the first place!"

"But we're close, I can feel it!"

"What you don't seem to realize, Dr. Mills," Snape said sarcastically, "is that we nearly blew ourselves up! I'm not interested in placing my life in danger."

"We simply have to try again. I'm not going to abandon her. Maybe your conscience will allow you to do so, but mine will not. I am not a quitter!" Jeanette spat furiously.

"As far as I can tell, you're wasting your time, my time, and valuable potions ingredients on this pointless endeavor. Face it! Potter is not getting his wife back, and he ought to just grow up and accept it!"

Jeanette stared at him in disbelief. "What happened to you to make you this way? Is it just because you are a Slytherin raised by Death Eater parents? Or did you experience some horrible personal tragedy?"

Snape turned his back to her. "I see, just because it's Potter you're willing to do anything possible to help him! You haven't given a single thought to the countless others who have died at Lucretia's hands, but the second it's Potter's wife you decide to do something!"

Jeanette was seeing red. She resented his accusations. "How dare you! If you aren't going to help than you might as well leave. You are no longer welcome here!"

Remus moved to her side and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Jeanette, calm down. It's alright."

But Jeanette was still furious. "No, Remus! I'm trying to save a woman's life and all _he's_ doing is making sarcastic comments and telling me to give up! No wonder so many people hate you!"

The last part was aimed at Snape who gaped at her for a moment before his expression turned dark. He looked ready to tear her limb from limb and he glared at her with the look of loathing he usually reserved for Harry, Remus, or Sirius. When he spoke it was in a low, threatening tone.

"I have never liked you. All through Hogwarts, no one even tried to see the real me. I was instantly branded as scum because I was a Slytherin and I didn't worship the ground that Potter, Lupin, and Black walked on. I have no idea what I was thinking trying to help you, but rest assured I will never make that mistake again. I have learned my lesson. You may call me whatever you like, but it seems to me you haven't looked in a mirror lately. Who is really the evil one here, Dr. Mills?"

After that speech, he turned and headed for the door. He had his hand on the knob just as the door swung open. Sirius came rushing in and the door caught Snape in the stomach, throwing him to the floor.

"We have more trouble," Sirius said. He saw Snape on the floor. "What are you doing down there?"

Snape grimaced. "I find it comfortable. What do you think I'm doing down here, you twit?"

Sirius shrugged, for once ignoring the insult. He turned to Remus and Jeanette. "What was that a few minutes ago? I figure it had something to do with you."

Jeanette replied calmly, "It was us. The spell didn't work."

"Well, we don't have time to try again right now," Sirius said. Jeanette ignored Snape's leer of triumph as he stood up and brushed off his robes. "We have other problems."

"Of course!" Remus said, hanging his head. "What is it now?"

Sirius sighed. "It's two things. First, Albus was attacked. By Lucretia."

Jeanette gasped, Remus gaped in surprise, and Snape narrowed his eyes. 

"Are you certain, Black?" Snape asked in an oddly choked voice.

Sirius gave him a withering look. "Of course. He's alright, although he says he has a nasty bump and a probable concussion. Madam Pomfrey is at his place now."

Snape continued towards the door. Sirius reached out and grabbed his arm. After the look Snape gave him, he reconsidered it and dropped the arm.

"Where are you going?" Sirius demanded.

Snape sneered. "I'm going to speak to him. Not that it's any of your business."

And he left. Jeanette was still angry, but she was now concerned for Professor Dumbledore's condition.

"Are you sure he's alright, Sirius?" she asked concernedly.

Sirius smiled at her. "Yes, of course I am."

Remus regarded him warily. "And what's the other bad news?"

Sirius' smile turned grim. "It appears Ron is possessed."

"What?!"

"Oh, it get's better," Sirius assured them. "He's possessed by Voldemort."

Jeanette felt faint and it was lucky that Remus was there to support her. "Oh, is that all?" she asked in a tiny voice. "Remus, help me to a chair. I don't feel very well." Once she sat down, she place her head between her knees and took a few deep breaths.

"Are you up for an inspection, Jeanette?" Sirius asked tiredly.

"Sure, why not?" Jeanette asked with false enthusiasm. She headed for the door and turned the handle. It wouldn't open. "What's wrong with the door?"

"What do you mean, Jeanette?" Remus asked, coming to her assistance.

After several manly displays of grunting and pulling, a few 'Alohomoras', and a couple attempts of breaking down the door, they finally gave up. The door refused to yield and let them out. 

"It appears we're stuck," Sirius said in disbelief. "I think I'm going to die in this place. Wouldn't that be ironic? After all of this trouble with Lucretia, I die because I'm trapped in a room."

"Relax, Padfoot," Remus said, almost snappishly. "We'll just have to wait for someone to let us out."

"I wonder how long that will take?" Jeanette mused. "For that matter, I wonder why the door's stuck?"

Outside of the room, Ginny Weasley was beginning to feel the pangs of guilt. 

"I'll release them when I get back, if they haven't already been rescued. Besides, they'll get my owl eventually and it will explain everything to them," she reassured herself. Then to the door she said, "I'm very sorry, but you would try to stop me. I can't let you do that."

She raised the hood of her woolen cloak and made sure that it shadowed her face. Checking to make sure that her wand was in a secure place, she started off down the hallway, hoping that no one would notice her.

* * *

Meredith was sucking on the end of her quill, thinking about the reason Lucretia wanted Ginny's baby. She couldn't think of any connection between Lucretia and Ginny and at first she couldn't find one between Draco and Voldemort, but Draco had shined a whole new light it, albeit unknowingly. 

The book was open in front of her and something about it was nagging in the back of her mind. The book continued to taunt her. What Draco told her must mean something, if only she could grasp it! There was just one solution.

She threw some special powder on the flames of her office fireplace. "Mrs. Weasley? Hello, I'm Inspector Meredith Levine, I'm not sure if we met. I work at M.A.T.D.A. where your son and daughter are? Could you please stop by for a moment? I need to ask you a question, it's rather urgent."

A short while later Molly Weasley walked into her office.

"Hello, Inspector Levine. You needed to ask me something?"

Meredith seemed a trifle embarrassed. "I hope I'm not keeping you from anything. This may seem trivial, but I assure you that it's very important. Would you please look at this picture and tell me if you recognize anything?"

A little confused, Molly looked at the same picture that Draco had seen. A look of shock came over her face.

"Why, yes indeed, I do recognize this one," Molly said, surprised. "This goblet, why it's been in Arthur's family for generations, or so he told me. Is it a valuable antique? I suppose ours is just a reproduction. I must say I never paid much attention to it. Quite ostentatious, if you ask me."

"Yes, quite," Meredith said, distracted. "Thank you for your help, Mrs. Weasley. You helped a great deal."

Molly was a bit offended, but she was always polite. "I'm glad I could. Good day." Then she left.

Meredith was staring at the book. The picture, which contained two items now identified, gave her a possible idea. She had no way to prove it, but it was the only thing that made sense. The only connection.

Yes, that dagger and that goblet were the answer. It still didn't explain everything, but it was a start. The dagger itself was nothing truly special. The pommel was studded with emeralds and the blade was curved, which was a bit unusual for daggers of that period. The goblet was gold with an emblem stamped on the bottom. 

It was the caption around the picture that was the most interesting. It read:

_Clockwise from the top left: emerald studded dagger of Salazar Slytherin, ruby studded sword of Godric Gryffindor, bronzed quill of Rowena Ravenclaw, and golden goblet of Helga Hufflepuff._

* * *

Ron was wandering through a forest. It was quite peaceful and calm. It felt so refreshing. He strolled along, whistling. There was nothing to fear.

He thought he heard someone call his name, but there was no one around. Suddenly a lone figure appeared in the distance and began to walk towards him. When he realized who it was, he ran forward, full of happiness.

"Hermione! Oh, I'm so thrilled you're here! Isn't it amazing? So quiet and soothing. But how did you get here?"

Suddenly Hermione's shape shifted and she morphed. Ron watched in increasing horror as the person in front of him ceased to be Hermione and became Voldemort instead.

"Hello, Weasley," Voldemort said, as if he was greeting a colleague. "So the time has come for the final confrontation? Good. Let's begin."

Ron's first instinct was to run, so he did. He was suddenly grateful for his long legs as he ran and dodged his way through the forest. He made his way through bushes, around tree trunks, and under branches. He was careful not to look back for fear of what he might see. Then he tripped and fell heavily to the ground. He struggled to stand up, but his foot was caught.

Voldemort loomed over him. His red snake–like eyes gleamed with hunger and Ron trembled. He was almost prepared to beg for his life. He was just too terrified.

"What do you want from me?" Ron asked, quivering.

"Your body. Why don't you just give it up? You're only hurting yourself and others you care about this way."

Ron curled up and prayed that this was all some terrible nightmare, but when he opened his eyes Voldemort was still standing over him.

"Enough!" Voldemort boomed. "I can't wait any longer. I won't need a wand for this."

He leaned down and Ron scrambled to get away. But it was no use, he was stuck. He cringed and a scream ripped from his throat as Voldemort's long spidery fingers found their way around his neck. He started to choke and couldn't breath. Voldemort laughed his strange high–pitched laugh and Ron gagged. His hands flew to his neck and he tried to pry Voldemort's hands away, but the grip was too strong. He was losing consciousness.

"Nothing will stop me this time," Voldemort hissed. "There's no Potter to save you in here and once I have your body, no one will get in my way. If it wasn't for that damned woman, I would be ruling the world already! No matter. With your body I will begin again."

And Ron released a silent scream.

* * *

"Oh, James, he's not fighting," Lily sobbed. "We've lost him!"

"Not yet," James said. He flinched as Ron screamed and his hands flew to his throat. He was clawing as if he was trying to create a hole in his neck. 

"We have to do something!" Lily said shrilly. "We can't let him die!"

James looked around for something to snap Ron out of it. The cell was barren, and besides, he couldn't pick anything up. He and his wife were helpless.

"Ron!" Lily screamed in his ear. "Ron! Come back!" 

There was nothing except for the sounds of Ron choking. He wasn't breathing and after a moment he lost consciousness.

Lily turned to James. "How could we have let this happen?"

* * *

"Merlin help us, what is he doing?" Harry asked frantically. Ron was trying to rip his throat apart and he was convulsing. "Malfoy, we have to do something, he's dying!"

"Gladly," Draco said sarcastically. "What do you suggest?"

"I don't know!" Harry shouted. "As hard as this may be for you to believe, I don't always have a plan! I've already watched my wife die, I'm not about to watch it happen to my best friend as well! We have to perform an exorcism, or something!"

"An exorcism," Draco said blankly. "Well, I don't know about you, but I'm a tad rusty on exorcisms."

Harry lost it. He was absolutely furious with the world. His wife was gone, one of his best friends was being held hostage, his other best friend was possessed, and his life was Hell. He blasted the steel door open, without a wand, and ran inside. Then he grabbed Ron's flailing wrists.

Ron's eyes snapped open and rolled around. He was choking and rasping, he took on the appearance of a rabid dog. He attempted to free his hands from Harry's grasp and spit in his face. Harry quickly wiped his face on his sleeve and forced Ron to stop moving,

"Won't take me, Voldemort," Ron mumbled fiercely. "Go to hell."

"Ron!" Harry shouted as if he and Ron were on opposite ends of a football field. Harry slapped him sharply across the face. "Snap out of it, damn you. Is physical pain the only thing you respond to? Fine."

And channeling all of his rage into one solid movement, Harry broke Ron's nose. Draco, standing in the doorway, looked down on Harry's handiwork, which did nothing more than cause Ron to become enraged and spill a lot of blood.

"Couldn't have done better myself, Potter," Draco said admiringly. "But perhaps that wasn't the best technique."

* * *

Severus Snape knocked tentatively on the door to Albus Dumbledore's room. A voice within bid him enter. He poked his head in through the door and saw Dumbledore reclining comfortably in his bed.

"Ah, Severus, this is a surprise. What brings you here?"

"I heard about the attack. Are you truly alright?"

"Of course," Dumbledore replied with great energy. "I have a tough head. It would take a greater witch or wizard than Lucretia to kill me. Can I help you, Severus, or were you simply concerned with my health?"

"I was simply wondering why Lucretia was here," Snape replied.

"She was looking for Hermione Weasley."

"Hermione?" Snape said in honest surprise. "How did she get here? Everyone's looking for her!"

Dumbledore frowned slightly. "Perhaps you had better tell me the whole story."

So Snape told him everything that Jeanette had told him. Dumbledore's frown deepened as he listened to the tale and at the end he made a dissatisfied noise.

"So that's what she was after." Dumbledore sighed. "I really feel terrible for Harry and Ron, not to mention Virginia. They don't deserve this."

Snape made a scornful sound and Dumbledore looked at him, his eyes twinkling. 

"I know, Severus, you dislike Harry, but you really should get over this ridiculous feud you have going with him. And at the very least you should show some concern for the child of Draco Malfoy. He was your favorite student, was he not?"

Snape nodded. "I suppose no one deserves the wrath of Lucretia."

"You wouldn't remember her at school because she was many years ahead of your time, in fact, I wasn't even Headmaster. I was the Transfiguration professor, and I remember her quite well. She was a marvelous student, and she was a sweet child. However she made one mistake. She fell in love with Tom Riddle."

Snape looked pensive. "I never understood that. How could people like that ever love someone?"

Dumbledore chuckled. "When Lucretia fell in love with him, she was still a girl. Foolish. They also used one another, to some degree. But I believe that he loved her—as much as he was capable of loving anyone. Well, Hermione slipped from my grasp, but I chipped the hypnosis spell so she might have some of her own thoughts again, enough to perhaps escape."

"Should I report back to Black and Lupin?" Snape asked, as if he had a bad taste in his mouth.

"You should owl them at least." Snape turned to leave. "And, Severus? I know what she did to you, but don't let it cloud your judgement."

Snape nodded and left. Dumbledore felt slightly dizzy and lay down again. 

"Gertrude McFadden," he murmured sleepily. "I wonder if she's still in there."

* * *

Ginny had been standing in the park for an hour. Now she was beginning think she had been abandoned. Only she couldn't imagine that woman passing up this opportunity.

She appeared in a cloud of purple smoke with another woman trailing behind her. She sauntered over to Ginny, who was not particularly inconspicuous. Ginny felt her spirits lift when she recognized the other woman. It was Hermione. Perhaps the crazy scheme would work after all. Ginny instantly recognized the first woman as Lauren Burke, from the warehouse that day.

"Ginny, darling," Lucretia cooed, as she got closer. "How wonderful to see you. I got your owl. Just in time too, I was about to go out and terrorize some people."

"Lucretia," Ginny replied coldly. 

"So, what can I do for you?" Lucretia asked cheerfully.

"It's difficult, shall we say?" Ginny replied in a sickeningly sweet tone.

"It always is, isn't it?" Lucretia agreed. "What do you want from me? You shan't get it. In fact, you were rather stupid to request this meeting. Because, well, I now have you right where I want you."

"And you are rather stupid if you think I would give myself up that easily," Ginny retorted. "Or my child."

Lucretia clapped her hands together and smiled. "Oh, you figured it out! Good for you. I was beginning to think you and your group were a lost cause. Stupid, you know. Always thinking I wanted Harry Potter. Who cares about him?"

"We're not stupid. And we have succeeded, we know what you want. Although, I'll admit, not why you want it."

A wind blew suddenly and a chill raced down Ginny's spine. She pulled her cloak tighter around her body. Lucretia noticed her discomfort and smirked. Hermione remained unmoving.

"You haven't figured that out yet? Honestly, just when I was thinking that there was some hope for you...I haven't dropped enough clues? It's really fairly obvious."

"Not to us," Ginny replied frostily, keeping one eye on Hermione. "Would you care to enlighten us?"

"I might as well, after all, it's your child I'm going to take," Lucretia idly twirled her wand between her fingers.

"Why do you want my child?" Ginny demanded. "What could you possibly want with my baby, any baby?"

"Because of who you are. And who that Malfoy brat is. Don't you understand, Ginny? Don't you know anything about your ancestry?"

Ginny laughed scornfully. "I know I'm a Weasley, a family which goes back several generations."

"Yes, but not all the way. Go back a little further. Perhaps back to the days of the Founders of that bloody school of yours?"

"Hogwarts? What about the Founders? No one traces their bloodline back that far. " Ginny was beginning to regret this. The woman was obviously insane.

"Except for You–Know–Who."

"Voldemort?" Ginny said in confusion.

"Damn it, would everyone just stop saying his name!" Lucretia took a few deep breaths. "I'm sorry. Yes, him. He can trace his bloodline back all the way to the Founders. And guess who his ancestor was?"

"Slytherin," Ginny whispered, instantly reliving the terrible days of the Chamber of Secrets.

"Exactly," Lucretia replied with relish. 

"But what does that have to do with me or Draco?" Ginny asked, near tears.

Lucretia was irritated. "Really! You are quite infuriating. Alright, look at me." Ginny looked. "Who do I remind you of?"

Ginny was startled. "Who? No one."

Lucretia laughed. "Oh, right, the spells. I'll remove the one that changes my appearance, but not the one that keeps me youthful. Wrinkles are just unsightly."

Lucretia did some fancy wand waving and muttering under her breath. All Ginny could do was watch in fascination as the color of Lucretia's hair changed, her nose lengthened, and freckles appeared on her cheeks. When the transformation was complete she turned to Ginny expectantly.

"Well?"

Ginny inspected her. "You do look rather familiar, I suppose. In fact, you rather resemble my mother."

"Exactly!" Lucretia exclaimed jubilantly.

Ginny was horrified. "You're not my mother!"

Lucretia waved her hand. "Of course I'm not. I'm about thirty years older than your mother. However, you and I, dear Ginny, are related."

* * *

Ron's flailing about wasn't helping matters. Harry had numerous bruises and Draco had a scratch or two. They were trying to pin him down, but Ron was possessed with murderous rage and refused to lie still. He was trying to suck in air like a fish out of water and began to turn purple. 

Harry tried to grab Ron by his collar and shake him, but it wasn't helping. Covered in Ron's blood, he stumbled against the wall and watched his best friend fight himself.

"Ron!" Harry screamed. Draco held him back.

"James," Lily said urgently, "is there any way to show ourselves to Harry and Draco? I may have an idea!"

But James had no solution to their problem. Luckily Draco did.

"Potter, I think I have a solution." He moved to Ron's side. "Weasley, you prick."

Ron's eyes focused for a moment. "Malfoy?"

"Yes, it's me, you daft twit. What's the matter? Are you a coward? A weakling? It figures that the one time you don't have Potter to rescue you, you're going to die!"

Harry grabbed his sleeve and pulled him back. "What the bloody hell do you think you're doing, Malfoy!"

"Potter, I know what I'm doing. Leave off." He moved closer to Ron. "I know why you hate me. It's because I'm better than you. I'm richer, I'm smarter, I'm definitely more handsome. Face it, Weasley, you're jealous!"

Ron roared and lunged and Draco, forcing him to the ground and pummeling him. Draco managed to gasp out.

"See, it's working!"

* * *

Ron was being strangled by Voldemort when another person appeared in his private forest. For a moment he was annoyed and he might have said something, had he not been choking. It was Draco Malfoy.

"Malfoy?" Ron asked weakly and with confusion.

Malfoy started taunting him.

"What's the matter? Are you a coward? A weakling? It figures that the one time you don't have Potter to rescue you, you're going to die!" he jeered.

Ron felt the blood rush to his head and a familiar surge of anger filled his body. Malfoy continued.

"I know why you hate me. It's because I'm better than you. I'm richer, I'm smarter, I'm definitely more handsome. Face it, Weasley, you're jealous!"

That did it. Ron roared and lunged out of Voldemort's grasp. He threw himself at Malfoy and started to throttle him. He was absolutely furious and gave no thought to what he was doing. He just kept hitting and clawing and bashing. Voldemort looked shocked.

"Stop that!" he said loudly. "I haven't finished with you!"

But Ron was beyond hearing him. All his thoughts were focused on hurting Malfoy. All the previous insults and barbs had come back tenfold to haunt him. He wanted to cause his brother–in–law pain. Forget Voldemort.

Voldemort came over to Ron and tried to pull him away, but all of Ron's fury was focused on Malfoy and he lashed out. Voldemort fell to the ground, bleeding and obviously astonished.

"You'll pay for that, Weasley!"

* * *

Sirius, Remus, and Jeanette were bored, tired, and hungry. They were also sweltering in the tiny room. A quick survey showed that they were locked in by magical means, as the windows refused to open either. Remus had managed to crack one open, but it wasn't large enough to escape through. All it provided was a tiny breath of air. Jeanette had taken to pacing, Remus was rummaging in a few cabinets, and Sirius was doodling.

"Since we're trapped in here, why don't we work on rescuing Lisa?" Jeanette suggested sensibly. 

Sirius sighed. "If you're so insistent...I suppose we might as well. What do you want us to do?"

Jeanette was just doling out instructions when a tiny owl came to the open window. It flew about the room and finally came to a stop in front of Jeanette. She took it's letter from it and it flew away again.

"Damn," Remus said. "We could have used it to send a message. What's the letter say, Jen?"

Jeanette had turned white. "Ginny's gone after Lucretia."

"What?!" Sirius and Remus shouted together.

"It says she's sorry for locking us in here, but we would have stopped her, and it was her responsibility. She has to be the one to stop Lucretia for good. Oh, she'll be killed!"

Jeanette started to cry and Remus put an arm around her and let her cry into his shoulder.

"It's alright, somehow it will be alright."

Sirius took the letter from her. "She also says that this is her best chance to rescue Hermione."

Remus shook her head. "She's insane. She'll never do it."

"We have to believe she will," Sirius said hopelessly. "Now, there's nothing we can do about it at the moment, let's work on that spell and potion."

* * *

"Wha–what?" Ginny said, taken completely by surprise. She started to back up, but came up against a wall.

"Your father and I are distant cousins. Surprise! We're related. Does everything make sense now?"

Ginny was still trying to understand. "This is some sort of weird twisted joke."

"Of course it isn't," Lucretia said impatiently. "Why would I joke about something like that? However, my last name wasn't Weasley. It was McFadden. Perhaps you see now why I became Lucretia. Who would want to be known as Gertrude?"

"So you're telling me that you and I are related?" Ginny asked slowly.

"That's what I'm telling you."

Ginny felt the rough wall through her cloak and was seriously having misgivings about the entire adventure. Hermione most certainly wouldn't be any help. She was cornered and she definitely did not like the hungry look in Lucretia's eyes.

"That still doesn't explain why you want my child. In fact, that only makes it all the more disturbing." Ginny was trying to cover up her fear with false bravado, but the tremor in her voice was all too clear.

"Think about it," Lucretia snapped. "Voldemort and I, you and your Draco."

"I'm still not seeing the connection," Ginny said warily. 

Lucretia stamped her foot and had to force herself not to scream. "Do I have to bloody spell it all out for you?"

"Apparently so," Ginny replied coldly.

Lucretia sighed. "Very well. Hermione?" Hermione's head snapped up. "Please tell Mrs. Malfoy my heritage."

Hermione stepped forward and began in a monotone. "Lucretia, real name, Gertrude McFadden. Born in—"

Lucretia interrupted. "No, none of that. Just skip to the part about my ancestry. You know, back in the days of the Founders."

"Gertrude McFadden, a direct descendent of Helga Hufflepuff, one of the four founders of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry," Hermione recited dutifully.

"Thank you," Lucretia replied merrily.

Ginny's jaw dropped. "You're related to Helga Hufflepuff?"

"We are related to Helga Hufflepuff," Lucretia corrected. "And you needn't sound so surprised."

"But you're pure evil!"

"And?" Lucretia responded.

"The Hufflepuff House stands for all things good, kind, loyal, and hard–working. You're none of those things!"

"Thank you," Lucretia replied sweetly. "But now do you see?"

Ginny glanced at Hermione, searching for perhaps just a glimmer of life. Hermione remained motionless. Ginny wanted to cry out to her, but she held it in.

"If you and I are related, then that means I'm also related to Helga Hufflepuff," Ginny said in awe.

"Finally!" Lucretia exclaimed. "Now you're getting it. You have Hufflepuff blood in your veins. Not a lot of it, but some. And your husband has Slytherin blood in him."

Ginny thought she was impervious to surprise by then. She was wrong. Her knees buckled and the ground swayed. Everything spun around her and she was very dizzy.

"What!"

"Yes," Lucretia said maniacally. "Your husband is a Malfoy. The first Malfoy child was the son of Slytherin's daughter."

Ginny's head spun. "What?"

"Slytherin had two children: one boy and one girl. From the son came You–Know–Who's line and from the daughter, who married a rich nobleman who changed his name to Malfoy, came your husband's family."

"Are you saying that my husband has Slytherin's blood in his veins?" Ginny asked, trying to get a grasp on all of this new information.

"Yes. He's not an heir or direct descendent, but he has the blood. And the blood, my dear Mrs. Malfoy, is what counts."

"So you want my child," Ginny said slowly, "because, because—"

"Because when you mix Slytherin and Hufflepuff blood, no matter in what doses, you create a child so powerful that he or she could take on any witch or wizard in existence. Unfortunately, my relations with _him_, resulted in nothing. So I will have your child, who will serve me just as well. With your child, Ginny, I shall rule the world. No one will dare stand in my way. Especially that piece of filth, Voldemort. I can finally destroy him."

"So, so, had a child been had from you and Vol–Vol–Voldemort," Ginny stuttered. "That child would also have been very powerful?"

Lucretia was becoming agitated. "Yes. You see, Ginny, the Slytherin line and the Hufflepuff line rather hated one another. As do the Malfoys and Weasleys. Until you and your beloved Draco, that is, a match no one could have ever predicted. Tom and I, we were different. We fairly used one another and to no avail."

She suddenly realized what she was doing. She was allowing herself to chatter away when the person she wanted was right within her grasp. Her violet eyes flashing, she whipped out her wand.

"Enough of this! You have your answer, Ginny, now I will rid myself of your meddling ways forever!"

Ginny tried to move, but there was nowhere to go. "If you kill me now, the baby will die with me!" she said desperately.

"There are ways," Lucretia said with an evil grin, "of preserving the life of that child, with or without you."

Then she raised her wand high above her head. "Goodbye, Virginia."

And she brought it snapping down.

* * *

"Oh, they're all going to be killed!" Lily cried as Ron continued to beat Draco, periodically pausing to push some invisible something away.

Draco managed to pull away for one vital moment, leaving Ron to battle his invisible attacker.

"Potter, somehow I'm in there! I don't know how, but I am! Weasley must have dragged me in! I saw him, I saw Voldemort! You have to help!"

And he was dragged back into the fray. Harry's eyes were wide, his skin was chalky, and he was sweating nervously. He had no idea what to do. He ventured forward, towards Ron and Draco who were wrestling.

"Ron?" He said tentatively.

"Harry, picture yourself with Ron and Draco!" James cried, knowing Harry couldn't hear him.

Lily got the idea. Somehow, Harry had to be in Ron's mind too. "Imagine you're fighting Voldemort with Ron and Draco!"

Harry thought he actually heard someone tell him what to do. Far beyond questioning reality, Harry obeyed. He closed his eyes and imagined himself with Ron and Draco. Remembering what Draco had done, at the same time he cried out, "Ron, you bastard!"

When he opened his eyes, he was in an unfamiliar forest. At his feet Ron and Draco were trying to kill each other. Voldemort was choking Ron from behind. At that moment, Voldemort looked up. His disgusting face formed a smile.

"Potter. Good."

* * *

When Lisa regained her memory, she spent a few precious minutes remembering. She and the others who had been freed through some miracle were overjoyed. They were themselves again, not mindless slaves. Lisa started walking, looking at familiar faces, delighting in the fact that she remembered them.

Lisa came upon a strange building. It was steel, like many of the other buildings in Lucretia's realm, but a nagging feeling appeared in the back of her mind, as if there was something important about this building.

Lucretia was occupied down on Earth, so Lisa pushed open the door. There was an odd sound coming from one chamber. Lisa tiptoed down the hallway and listened as the clanging grew louder. At the center of the room, a young woman was taking an axe to an odd glowing column. Her anger, which was reflected in her attempt to desecrate the thing, surprised Lisa. She ventured forward.

There was something familiar about the woman. She must have heard Lisa's footsteps because she turned and gasped.

"Lisa?"

"Cho?" Lisa said in the same astonished tone. "What are you doing here?"

There was a bitterness and hatred in Cho's eyes. "I'm trying to destroy this!"

She gestured to the glowing column, which Lisa examined for the first time. It seemed to be an ordinary stone column, except it pulsed with a purple glow. Jeanette's words, from their first meeting, suddenly came back to her.

_"Probably the most damning of all is that she spends most of her time in an alternate universe in which time does not flow the same as it does here. There, she is protected even more because that is where her power is located. There are only two ways to stop her, or at least hinder her. One, destroy her power core, but for that you would have to get into the other universe and find it."_

It looked like she had found it. Lisa felt her own fury well up inside of her. She turned to her old friend.

"Where can I get an axe?"

Cho found her one and together they started to bash it. Gradually others joined them and started to chip the source of all of their misery. Over and over they battered it, but it remained firm. It refused to break. That didn't stop the prisoners. They channeled all of their pain, frustration, and rage into destroying the cause of it. It wouldn't relent. They chipped it, broke pieces of it, but still it remained strong.

Exhausted from the effort, Lisa was ready to collapse. Some, like Cho, had endless amounts of rage to tap into, but their attempts were making no progress. Then one woman had a solution. 

She ventured forward. "I have this. I must have had it on me when I died, and it carried over to here. I never used it because I couldn't even remember I had it, but now, it might just be the thing."

In her outstretched hands, she held a battered wand. Lisa looked at her with a grin of delight. The woman smiled back shyly, her dark eyes were lowered.

"This might just do it!" Lisa said joyfully. "How can we ever thank you? What's your name?"

She thought for a moment. Then she laughed. "I actually have a name!" She lifted her head and stared proudly into Lisa's eyes. "My name is Isobel Snape."

Before Lisa could register her surprise at hearing that name, Isobel had melted back into the crowd and she turned back to the task at hand.

"We all need to work together! Everyone, touch the shoulder of someone else, and in one voice we'll say it together." She placed a hand on Cho's shoulder. "Alright, ready?" They all shouted yes. "Okay. Here goes. One, two, three!"

"REDUCTO!"

A loud explosion filled their ears and knocked them all to the ground, as chunks of stone flew over their heads.

* * *

Ginny screamed and ducked her head, waiting for the curse. It didn't come. Just as Lucretia was about to call the words, she fell screaming. She covered her head as if she was being pelted with rocks. Blood appeared on her skirts and Ginny watched in horror as her young and beautiful face changed from that of a youthful princess to that of an old hag. She seemed to shrivel up before Ginny's very eyes.

Behind her, Hermione came out of her trance. She was very confused and scared, not knowing how she got there. When she saw Ginny, she let out a little cry. Then it became a big one. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she sobbed. She remembered. She missed her family, she needed them desperately. Ginny looked at her, her pale face overwhelmed by what had just happened.

"Hermione!" Ginny cried. She took one step towards her, but her movement was impeded.

Lucretia leapt up. She was hideous, with her yellowed skin and sunken cheeks, she looked like death personified. Ginny shrieked and jumped back. Only her eyes were the same, still malevolent.

"So, they destroyed my core, did they?" she rasped. "But they underestimated me. I would be stupid indeed to have placed all of my power there. As it is, I put too much, but no matter. I am still powerful. I can still kill you."

Hermione said defiantly, "You'll have to get through me first."

Lucretia turned to her. A grotesque smile caused Hermione to flinch. "That can be arranged. Crucio!"

* * *

Voldemort sprang up and headed towards Harry. Both Ron and Draco realized it at the same time and they stopped fighting. Draco tackled Voldemort from behind and Ron battered him in the face. Voldemort stumbled and fell. 

Harry, momentarily frozen in fear and faced with the realization that his parents weren't there to help him, moved forward and joined Ron and Draco in taking down Voldemort. They kicked, punched, snapped, and clawed at the man who had tortured them for so long. Voldemort wouldn't go without a fight and he gave nearly as good as he got. Harry's hand was broken again and he screamed in agony. Voldemort stood over him, laughing.

"After all these years, it finally comes down to this. Well, Harry Potter, it looks like you won't escape this time."

Ron was lying in the ground nearby, he was much closer than Draco, who wasn't moving. He was barely conscious, but he heard those words and pulled himself over to them. A million thoughts were running through his head. Memories of their friendship.

Memories of fighting a mountain troll together, of searching for the Philosopher's Stone, of sharing treats on the Hogwarts Express, of making up predictions for Divination. Of little things like discussing Quidditch or getting nervous together before the balls, or even the ridiculous arguments that, though they hurt, could never destroy their friendship. And especially of the words Dumbledore had told him just before his retirement and he cut himself off from the world.

**_"No matter what you think, Harry will always need you. You have to be there for him. You have to help him. He's strong, but not strong enough to face it all on his own. Help him, Ron. Be strong for him when he himself cannot."_**

_Harry_. He had to save Harry. But he really wanted his mummy.

* * *

Ginny screamed again, but Hermione dived to the side and the curse missed. Lucretia cursed and Ginny called out. 

"Hermione!" And Ginny threw her own wand at her. Hermione caught it.

This served as a distraction and Lucretia looked from one woman to the other. Hermione pointed the wand at the insane witch.

"Don't move, or I'll blast you!" Hermione threatened. Lucretia smiled her disgusting smirk.

"I'd like to see you try it!" And she lunged at Hermione who was startled and dropped the wand. 

Lucretia and Hermione were locked in combat and neither one of them were "playing by the rules". Ginny was rooted to the spot in fear. She shut her eyes and tried to block out the screams.

* * *

"That ought to do it," Jeanette said, wiping her hands on a cloth. Remus and Sirius inspected their handiwork. The potion was frothing and it was a bright electric blue. Lisa's body lay out on the table before them and they prepared to cast the spell.

This time Remus and Sirius took up the chanting and Jeanette dealt with the potion. Just as they began, the door burst open and Meredith came rushing in.

"I've figured it out!" she shouted, waving a piece of paper. "I know why Lucretia wants Ginny's baby!"

They halted. Jeanette shook her head. "Tell us in a minute, this has to be done now or the potion will be ruined."

The men began to chant and Jeanette stirred the potion which bubbled and changed colors. Meredith stood back and watched in fascination as the chanting grew louder and a bright golden haze descended over Lisa's body.

The haze sparkled and enveloped the body. It grew so thick that no one could see anything. As the men's voices called out the final words and Jeanette poured the potion into Lisa's mouth a great noise filled the room, causing them all cover their ears. Jeanette watched in shock as Lisa's body disappeared with a small pop.

When the noise stopped and the haze cleared away, Jeanette looked at the others in horror. 

"Oh, no, what have I done?"

* * *

Lisa felt herself being pulled up and she gave no resistance. She opened her eyes and found herself staring back at Cho. She coughed slightly and smiled.

"We did it? We really did it?" Cho nodded. Others were standing up and brushing stone dust off of themselves. There was laughing and cheering. Everyone was congratulating each other. Lucretia couldn't torture them any longer.

Lisa grabbed Cho's arm and pulled her over to one corner of the room.

"How did you get here, Cho?" Lisa asked in a hushed whisper.

Cho sighed. "She poisoned me, Lis. Just like I assume she did to you. I found out about her plan to kidnap your children and I wanted no part of it. So she killed me."

Lisa was full of sympathy. "Oh, Cho, I'm sorry. It's all my fault. I created the poison."

Cho looked at her in surprise. "Your fault! It's no one's fault but hers, and who ever sired her. The woman was just bad. Don't blame yourself."

Lisa suddenly pulled Cho into a tight hug. Then she felt a tugging on the back of her robes and she was pulled away. That world dissolved and she started spinning fast. All of a sudden, when she opened her eyes, she found herself somewhere else entirely. She was in a body, a real body. And she thought she saw Ginny and Hermione. Her entrance hadn't gone unnoticed. Their attacker turned and stared at her.

There was no mistaking those eyes.

"Lucretia!"

* * *

Harry stumbled backward. He thought he saw Ron move, but he couldn't be sure.

'Please be alive,' he prayed. 'Ron and Draco, please be alive!'

Voldemort was coming closer and more menacing. His red eyes glittered and Harry saw himself reflected in them. He was instantly fourteen years old again, facing Voldemort for the first time after his resurrection. He had been terrified then as well. 

The pain in his hand, as well as other places, was causing him to lose focus. Images swayed and he fell. He whimpered, a small, weak boy once more.

"Harry Potter dead and a body all my own. Today is a good day," Voldemort said, leering.

Harry distinctly saw Ron try to lift himself out of the muck and crawl closer. One step, then another. Harry saw the pain in his face and was instantly reminded of their adventure in the Shrieking Shack when Ron was faced with a murderer and he had a broken leg. Another move forward.

"I don't have a wand, so my hands will have to do. They were good enough for your friends," Voldemort said cruelly.

Harry knew what Ron was going to do, and he tried to call out and stop him, but he couldn't speak. Ron forced himself to stand. Harry must have made some noise because Voldemort turned suddenly. He grinned malevolently.

"So I haven't killed you yet? No matter. I will now."

He started purposefully forward, but Ron had other ideas. Launching himself forward with every last ounce of strength he howled in a voice so loud that it alone nearly knocked Voldemort down. Combined with the brutal attack, he never stood a chance. Ron was beyond anyone's help. He had reached his limit.

"NO! I will NOT give in! You will NOT win!"

And Harry's world dissolved as he lost consciousness.

* * *

Lucretia recognized her instantly. "Well, if it isn't Lisa Potter. Trying to get in my way again, are you?"

Hermione moved to protect Ginny. Ignoring the question of how she arrived there, no longer dead, Lisa marched toward Lucretia. How she had changed. 

"Why don't you rejoin me? With you and Hermione at my side, no one would stop us," Lucretia said persuasively.

But a picture of her husband and children was enshrined on her heart, and Lucretia's empty promises did not affect her in the slightest. Her voice rang out, clear and strong.

"I was wrong to ever follow you in the first place. You are nothing, and all you do is destroy innocent lives! Everything you promised and that I believed was a lie! You were a mistake and you are worthless. Look at you now, nothing but a powerless hag!"

There was a triumphant note in her voice, but Lucretia was seeing her life crumble before her eyes and she wouldn't give it up with out a fight—it was not in her nature.

"A powerless hag? I'll show you powerless!"

Without the aid of a wand, she channeled what was left of her power and used it to pick Lisa up, as easily as a rag doll, then she threw the woman across the park; the lower half of Lisa's body hit a tree. She fell with a cry and was still.

That was too much for Ginny. She was just registering the shock of it all, not the least seeing Lisa alive again, and that act of brutal cruelty was just the limit. She concentrated and tried to tap into that little wandless magic that all magic people had. Her efforts yielded when the abandoned wand flew up off the ground and into her hand.

Lucretia was almost too quick for her. The evil witch spun around and aimed a spell at Ginny which hit Hermione. Hermione let out a scream and dropped to the ground.

She didn't know what she was doing, but Ginny aimed the wand at Lucretia and yelled with all of her might, "_Avada Kedavra!_"

Instead of seeing a body lying lifeless on the ground before her, Lucretia disappeared entirely with a blood–curdling shriek. There was silence.

Hermione forced herself to stand, although she was quite shaky, and rushed over to Lisa, with Ginny, who was in shock, close behind. Hermione checked for a pulse; it was faint, but it was there.

She looked up at Ginny. "She needs to go to a hospital, now or we might lose her again."

A look of intense pain washed over Ginny's face. When it passed she stared at Hermione. "I think I need a hospital too. I think I'm going into labor."

A/N: Wow, twenty–one pages in Corel Word Perfect, that's a new record. Okay, please read the following disclaimer so I don't get in trouble:

DISCLAIMER: The idea for Ginny having Hufflepuff blood and Draco having Slytherin blood was borrowed from the amazing author Cassandra Claire. I wrote to her a month or two ago and asked for permission to use that. She told me I could. In her 'Draco' series, Draco is the heir of Slytherin and Ginny is the heir of Hufflepuff. Not so in my story. They only have the blood. Also, Harry is not the heir of Gryffindor nor is Hermione the heir of Ravenclaw. Everything that I haven't already disclaimed is mine. I couldn't write this disclaimer at the top 'cause that would have spoiled the story.

Okay, so what did you think? That was the end of the action and everything will be wrapped up in the next one or two chapters before I begin the sequel. Oh and I apologize to anyone who thought that Suzi was sinister and evil. She's not. She's just Lisa's mum. I never intended to make her anything other than that, I tried to find a surprise about her, but I couldn't squeeze one in. Oh well.

Oh, and if you want you can give me ideas for the name and gender of Ginny's baby. I already know what it is, but you still can if you want. Who knows, maybe one of you will come up with something better than what I have.

Thank yous:

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Amerkat: hmm. A girl? Well, you'll get no guarantees. I did like your review, and I'm not saying who Jeanette is going to hook up with. I have to keep some secrets, don't I?

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Kit Cloudkicker: I'm glad that you liked it. Almost all of the secrets are out now, but look out.

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RoxyValdez: no, Terry was just there. And Snape and Jeanette? Hmm, you caught that did you? Good for you.

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Saphire: I will continue as you wish!

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Sehrish: thanks

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Stella: we'll see, you'll probably get a character since you asked so nicely.

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Veronica: I've been very fast lately 'cause I'm trying to all of the end chapters out so I can move on to the sequel

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Wouldnt u like 2 know: yes, Lisa's back, in a way.

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Xavi, Darling: Well, Xavi, looks like you don't have any competition anymore. It appears Mitie Mouse gave up. Oh well, please keep your long reviews coming, and I'm glad I made it onto your favorite authors list. The Creature was Voldie, that wasn't meant to be a secret and the Follower was Cho.


	14. Recovery

Disclaimer: If I owned Harry Potter, I would buy a pony.

A/N: I hope y'all enjoyed the last chapter. This one isn't nearly as long. There's one more after this and then I begin the sequel.

I kinda just realized I never told you what Hermione's job was, mostly because it wasn't really relevant, but it's necessary to the sequel. You'll find out later and for my sake (because I know you all love me) pretend you knew all along.

For those of you who wanted to know more about Lucretia and Voldemort, I've written a short little side thing called A Woman Scorned, it's just Lucretia's thoughts on her relationship with Voldie. Go read it and review it!

Chapter 14: Recovery

When Harry opened his eyes he had no idea where he was. He struggled to sit up, but a hand pushed down on his chest and forced him back down onto the bed. He blinked. Everything was so white and fuzzy as if he was looking at it through a hazy window. Jeanette stood over him with a relieved smile.

"Thank goodness, you're awake. Don't get up, you're still weak."

Harry realized why everything was blurry; he wasn't wearing his glasses. At his request, Jeanette handed them to him and he put them on. He took a look at his surroundings and realized he was in hospital room. The curtains were drawn around his bed.

Suddenly fearing the worst, he said, "Ron! Malfoy! Are they alright? Where's Ginny? What happened?"

Jeanette gently pushed him back down. "Calm down, Harry. You'll give yourself a heart attack. I healed your hand, but the rest of you isn't completely healed yet. I'll answer any of your questions that I can."

Harry stopped trying to sit up. "Is Ron alright? And Draco?"

Jeanette smiled faintly. "Draco is fine, bruised and not entirely free of his own injuries, but his condition was by far the best. He probably broke a rib, Dr. Murray's looking at him right now. Ron, well, his condition was more serious. He underwent serious damage and was nearly strangled. He's currently still unconscious, but he's in no real danger, he just needs time to heal. From what Draco told us, he also had to dispel Voldemort from his body, which possibly left mental scarring. We can't be sure yet. Hermione's with him right now."

Harry started. "Hermione? She's back?"

Jeanette nodded happily. "Yes, and with no lasting harm. She was hit by a nasty curse, but she claims she's feeling much better and hasn't left her husband's side since she woke."

Harry grasped her arm. "Tell me everything you know."

Jeanette sat down on a nearby chair. "This is what we've discovered from the accounts of various people. Apparently, you, Ron, and Draco were busy fighting Voldemort inside Ron's mind while Ginny went to confront Lucretia."

"What!" Harry shouted, then winced.

"She confronted Lucretia. With Hermione's help, and because suddenly Lucretia lost a lot of power, Ginny was able to destroy her. She won't harm you anymore, Harry. Hermione sent up sparks and Ministry Wizards found them."

"But why did she suddenly lose so much power?" Harry wanted to know.

"Because your wife destroyed her power core in her other realm," Jeanette said, avoiding his eyes.

Harry just stared at her, unable to speak. Eventually Jeanette looked up and met his gaze.

"She's here, Harry. We brought her back."

"Lisa," Harry whispered. "Where is she?" he demanded.

Jeanette hesitated. "Well, she was somehow brought right into the middle of the fight between Ginny, Lucretia, and Hermione. She fought as well."

Harry felt his stomach drop. "And?"

"And Lucretia threw her against a tree. She's in critical condition, Harry. I'll take you to see her if you wish, but she's not awake."

Harry nodded mutely and Jeanette helped him out of his bed. Assisting him to walk, she led him to another room with a bed where the curtains were drawn. When Jeanette pulled back one of the curtains, Harry felt himself go weak in the knees. He rushed to Lisa's bedside and moaned.

Her face was swollen and bruised, as were her arms. Her head hung limply to one side and her eyes were closed. But Harry never thought he'd see her again and to him she was the most beautiful thing in the world. As Harry moved to take her hand, Lisa's eyes fluttered open for a moment before they closed again. Harry took this as a sign that she would recover.

"Come on, Harry, you should get back to bed," Jeanette said, but Harry shook his head.

"No. I'll remain here. I feel fine."

Jeanette sighed, but knew better than to argue. 

"You probably ought to know, too, that Ginny's gone into labor. It will be a few hours yet, but it's begun."

Harry looked up, his green eyes dull. "Did she find out why Lucretia wanted the baby?"

Jeanette nodded. "But she's occupied so I didn't press her. She'll tell us later."

There was no response so she turned and left. Harry squeezed Lisa's hand and kissed her cheek. He didn't know what to do or say to make the situation better.

"I love you," he whispered. "I always have. Don't leave me again."

A faint pressure on his hand made his heart jump. Lisa was still unconscious, but she had heard him.

* * *

Hermione sat in the small uncomfortable chair for hours. She didn't move, she didn't blink. She didn't make a sound. Ignoring the ache in her chest, she stared continually at her husband's still and pale form. He was breathing, but his eyes remained closed.

Hot tears ran down her cheeks; she wiped them away callously. After finally being reunited with her husband, was he going to leave her? She loved him so much, knowing she had forgotten him caused her heart to throb. Their children reminded her more and more of him each day, and she was suddenly grateful that they had children young. If something terrible happened to Ron, she would have a piece of him to keep close. 

He was so bruised. His nose had been broken, according to Draco by Harry himself, but Jeanette had fixed it. It was still a bit swollen and she couldn't do anything about his black eyes. There was a long gash across one cheek which would leave quite a scar. Hermione laughed hollowly. Ron always wanted his own scar so he could be just as great as Harry; somehow this probably wasn't what he had in mind.

She spoke momentarily to Draco and he told her the entire terrifying story. Jeanette informed her of everything that had happened since she was taken—including the pseudo–Hermione. The real Hermione had been horrified to learn that Voldemort had possessed her husband and that he potentially damaged himself trying to rid his body of the disgusting spirit. Draco described everything that had happened in Ron's mind to her and Hermione found herself in shock.

"Ron? Darling, it's me, it's really me," she whispered. He looked so pale, like marble. She held her breath, but he remained unresponsive. Suddenly everything came pouring out in a flood of confused emotions. "I'm sorry we ever fought, Ron. I love you, and our children. I'm sorry that I ever claimed I was unhappy with you. I was wrong, I really was. I need you. You have become too important to me. First you were a friend, but now you're my love, and you can't leave me all alone."

She was sobbing now. Hermione couldn't remember the last time she had broken down like that. It scared her to be so vulnerable. She needed to feel Ron's strong arms around her, to hold her tight and tell her it would all be alright. She had spent the past week a shell of her former self, someone who couldn't even remember her own name. 

Suddenly Ron's eyes fluttered open. They were unfocused for a moment until they sought her face. Hermione smiled joyfully through her tears. He smiled weakly and squeezed her hand.

"Mione?" he said in a puff of air. It was so light that if Hermione hadn't been listening for it, she might have missed it.

"Shh," she said, wiping the tears away. "Don't speak. I'm so glad to see you." The statement was inadequate for the emotions she was experiencing, but the look in her eyes was eloquent enough. "Draco told me what happened."

"I...owe...him...my life," Ron said, his breath coming out in rasps. 

Hermione cradled his face in her hands and kissed him deeply. There were so many bruises. "There will be plenty of time to thank him later. Ginny's in labor, so we'll have another niece or nephew soon."

She was trying to keep her tone light, for him, but he wasn't fooled.

"Harry?" he whispered.

"He's alright. His hand was broken twice, and he's rather bruised and bloody. Draco's alright except for a broken rib and the bruises you gave him. You took the brunt of the attack. And Lisa," she added in a softer tone.

Ron heard her. "Lisa?" he croaked.

Hermione nodded. "She came back, Ron. She was there when Lucretia attacked Ginny and me." She could see that he was bursting with questions, but she placed a finger on his lips to quiet him. "Shh. Not now, I'll explain all I know, but you need to rest. Jeanette said there might be some internal injuries, and the best thing is to sleep."

His eyes were already closing. Hermione held tightly onto his hand and resumed her vigil.

* * *

Draco turned fitfully on his bed. He was restless and when he opened his eyes, Jeanette was standing over him.

"Oh, good, you're awake. Come on then, it's time."

Jeanette yanked him out of bed and dragged him down the corridor. He winced as he stumbled along. Jeanette noticed his pain and slowed her pace. 

"Oh, I'm sorry. Are you alright?"

"A broken rib," Draco said, short of breath. "What's happening?"

"Your wife's in labor!" Jeanette exclaimed.

Draco stopped short, all the color drained from his face, and he felt dizzy. "Wh–what?"

Jeanette pulled him along. "She's in labor. She needs you, let's go."

They ran down a few hallways and Draco attempted to catch his breath.

"But she's a month early!" he said with concern.

"I know. It's not unusual for a traumatic experience to induce premature birth. We're lucky that she didn't miscarry after this week's events. Don't worry, a month isn't too terrible, she and the baby should be fine."

Draco burst into the room where his wife was waiting. She was breathing heavily and a nurse was counting the time between contractions. Her eyes lit up when she saw him.

"Oh, Draco, thank goodness! You're alright!"

He rushed to her bedside and took her hand. "How are you?"

"I'm alright," she said, her face contorting with pain. "Tell me everything!"

He brushed a strand of damp red hair from her face. "Later, I promise."

"Okay, Ginny," Jeanette said calmly. "I'm not an obstetrician, so I'm going to send Dr. Christopher in. I need to check on my other patients, so I'm going to leave now, alright?"

Ginny nodded forlornly. "As long as Draco stays with me."

Jeanette smiled. "Of course."

She left the room. Draco turned to his wife and kissed her. She looked up at him, surprised.

"What was that for?" Ginny asked. 

"For being the mother of my child, and being beautiful," he said simply.

* * *

Jeanette rapped softly on the door. A moment later Hermione opened it. She looked very tired with dark circles under her eyes. She smiled warmly though, when she saw who it was.

"Come in. He's doing much better."

Ron was awake but he looked very pale and weak in the bed. He acknowledged Jeanette's entrance with a few blinks and a feeble smile.Jeanette moved to his bedside and took his pulse; it was steady.

"How do you feel, Ron?" Jeanette asked gently.

"Bad," he croaked, "but at least I'm alive."

She listened to his heart. "Your heart beat is a little bit irregular, so I'm afraid you might have heart trouble in the future."

Hermione had resumed her post by Ron's bed. She was holding his hand tightly and had grabbed it when she heard this. He smiled reassuringly at her.

"It's alright. I'm alive and Voldemort didn't get my body, that's what's important."

Hermione nodded and Ron resumed. "How are Harry and Malfoy? And Ginny, has the baby come yet?"

"Harry's fine, he's sitting with Lisa. Draco's alright as well and he's with Ginny. No, the baby hasn't come yet. I have to go check on Lisa, I'll be back soon."

She left and Ron relaxed slightly. Some of the tension went out of his stretched skin. He grasped Hermione's hand and sighed.

"Herm, call the folks and tell someone to bring the kids here. I want to see them."

Hermione nodded with tears in her eyes. "I do too, sweetheart. I do too."

* * * 

Lisa was still sleeping, although Harry hoped it was a natural sleep now. He hadn't left her side and his eyes hadn't left her face. There was a knock on the door, but he didn't move. Jeanette entered quietly.

"Harry, I need to speak to you about Lisa."

Harry didn't seem to hear her. When he realized she was in the room he looked up. "Is Ron alright? Has the baby come?"

Fortunately Jeanette possessed endless amounts of patience in such situations. "Ron is awake and I'm confident that he will make a full recovery. No, the baby hasn't come yet, but it will be soon. Would you like to be there?"

Harry hesitated, but then shook his head. "No, I have to be here."

He turned to look at Lisa again, and Jeanette sighed. She placed a hand on his shoulder, but he was unresponsive.

"Harry, you have to hear this. We've run tests on Lisa, and while I don't doubt that she will survive, she is most likely going to be paralyzed from the waist down."

Harry was silent. When he spoke it was in a cold and final tone of voice. "No."

"Harry, I know you don't want to hear it, but it's the truth. We're lucky she's alive at all, but for everything else magic can cure, it can't cure this."

"NO!" Harry shouted. Jeanette jumped back. Harry stood up, looking furious. Then as suddenly as the rage had come, it left, and Harry was once again a lost little boy.

"I'm sorry," he said dejectedly. 

"No, Harry," Jeanette said softly, "I am." She left the room silently and Harry returned to Lisa's side. He bowed his head over hers and began to cry. Hot tears dripped off the tip of his nose onto her face. 

Her eyes fluttered open and this time stayed open. It took her a minute to be able to speak, but she eventually found her voice.

"Harry, is it really you?" she asked in a whisper.

Harry lifted his head and smiled waterily. "Yes, oh, yes."

"I just want you to know I love you," she said quietly. 

"I love you too." Harry continued to cry. "I'm so sorry for everything."

Lisa knew better than to contradict him. She remembered everything with astonishing clarity, but she also knew that he felt he had to take some of the blame.

"Tell me the truth, the whole truth. What's wrong with me?"

Harry tried to avoid her eyes, but he couldn't. "Jeanette said that you'll be paralyzed from the waist down."

Lisa closed her eyes. "At least I'm alive."

Harry was startled at how well she was taking this. "Yes," he agreed, "at least you're alive."

* * *

Sirius and Remus were eating in the cafeteria when Jeanette came in and collapsed in a chair. They continued to eat their sandwiches and looked at her expectantly.

"Ron will be alright, although he may have heart problems later on. Ginny's very close to birth with Draco by her side. And Lisa, well, she'll be paralyzed. Harry didn't take it very well."

"Did you really expect him to?" Remus pointed out.

"No," Jeanette admitted. "I wish it had been any other way." She banged her fist down on the table. "We really need to know what happened."

"The curiosity's getting to you too, eh?" Sirius asked with a grin.

Jeanette sniffed. "Of course not. I speak from a medical standpoint. The problem is, Hermione was hypnotized throughout most of it, so she can't tell us anything about Ginny and Lucretia, Ginny's in labor so she's a bit preoccupied, Draco can only tell us a bit about the conflict between Ron and Voldemort and he's busy now too. Harry was unconscious for a lot of it, Ron has only just woken up and is no state to be interrogated, and Lisa, who's information would be of the greatest value, is not awake yet."

"That is a problem," Remus agreed. "We'll just have to keep our curiosity in check until the baby's born, I suppose. Then we'll have a group meeting, in Lisa's room if it's possible to get Ron and Ginny in there. We'll come up with something."

Jeanette sipped a mug of coffee, Sirius took a large bite out of his sandwich, and Remus munched on some crisps. They were reflecting. Suddenly Sirius sat up straight.

"Wait! We can at least get the answer to one of our questions! Didn't Meredith say she had figured out the reason Lucretia wanted Ginny's baby?"

"Yes, she did!" Jeanette exclaimed. "Where did she get to?"

She walked in at that moment, munching on a Chocolate Frog. She looked at the others. 

"What? Why are you staring at me?"

"Didn't you say you figured out why Lucretia wanted Ginny's baby?" Remus asked excitedly.

Meredith waved a hand. "Oh that. Yes, I did."

"Well?" Sirius asked anxiously.

She placed her hands on her hips. "Oh, so now you want to listen to me!"

Jeanette shot him a look. The doctor had had a lot of practice with the inspector before.

"Please, Mere, tell us."

Meredith sat down in a chair next to Sirius. "Oh, I suppose. Ginny and Lucretia are related as are Draco and Voldemort. That's the connection. And Ginny is descended from Helga Hufflepuff. Draco is related to Salazar Slytherin."

Jeanette, Remus, and Sirius sat in stunned silence. Jeanette broke it. 

"What!"

Meredith nodded idly. She opened another Chocolate Frog. "You got it. That's the reason, but I don't know the details. I imagine Ginny does though."

"Yes, but at the moment, she's a trifle occupied," Sirius said.

* * *

"Draco Malfoy, I hate you!" Ginny shrieked. "I'll kill you for doing this to me!"

Dr. Christopher tried to stifle a smile. Draco was obviously nervous and Ginny was about to break all the bones in his hand. She was very close now, a few pushes and the baby would be out.

"Alright, Ginny, push! Atta girl, again, and don't forget to breathe."

Ginny pushed as hard as she could and then fell back against the pillow, breathing heavily. Draco smoothed the hair around her face and murmured encouraging phrases.

"Good, sweetheart, keep pushing, it's almost over." He tried to ignore the throbbing pain in his hand.

Ginny reached out and grabbed him by the front of his robes. "Listen to me, would you like to be here giving birth? No? Then stop saying stupid things! Argh!"

She pushed again and tried to remember to breathe. Dr. Christopher gave her an encouraging smile.

"Alright, Ginny, one more good push ought to do it. You can do it!"

She pushed as hard as possible and was rewarded with the sound of a tiny cry. Looking up at her husband, Ginny was amused to see that he was as white as a ghost. A lot of things Draco Malfoy may be, but he had never been a father before. His reaction was kind of cute. Then panic overtook her, compounded by fear for her baby.

"My baby," she said desperately. "Is my baby alright?"

Dr. Christopher smiled warmly. "She's just fine. Ten fingers, ten toes. She seems perfectly healthy."

"She," Draco repeated blankly.

Ginny looked at him. "Do you mind? That it's a girl, I mean."

Draco watched as the doctor placed his daughter in the arms of her mother. He smiled at her. "Of course not. I told you, we can always try again."

She laughed. "Only if you're the one who gets pregnant next time."

She looked down at her perfect little girl. Her baby was so beautiful, so wonderful. All this time she had worried that her escapades would cause a miscarriage or that something would happen to her husband. Now all her fears were at rest. She had her own little family, one she would do anything to protect.

Draco sat on the edge of her bed and Ginny handed him their baby. He seemed a little surprised and uncertain. Ginny laughed a little at his discomfort.

"It's alright," she said gently. "Meet our daughter, Draco."

Draco looked down at his daughter, marveling that he could have been part of the creation of something so tiny and beautiful. "And does our daughter have a name?"

Ginny took her back into her arms. "Yes," she said decisively. "Her name is Destiny. Destiny Aileen Malfoy, because she was our destiny. And whatever hers is, she has two parents who love her."

She looked at Draco for his approval. He was still smiling. 

"I think it's a perfect name. Although, you do realize her initials spell 'dam', don't you?"

* * *

Several hours later Ginny had been escorted to Lisa's room. She insisted on carrying Destiny with her and Draco didn't make any objections. Ron was moved into the neighboring bed, so everyone was gathered in that room.

First everyone admired little Destiny, then they got down to business.

"First things first," Jeanette said. "Ginny, why did Lucretia want your child?"

Ginny was looking down at the child in question. "Because with Hufflepuff blood from me and Slytherin blood from Draco, supposedly any child that comes from us will be all powerful."

"Do you believe her?" Remus asked.

Ginny shrugged. "I see no reason for her to lie to me about it. She wanted my daughter so she could rule the world. Although I admit I find it difficult to believe that Destiny has the power of the Founders put together."

Everyone looked at the tiny baby who was currently asleep. She certainly didn't seem capable of destroying a world.

"There's one thing I'd like to know," Draco spoke up. "How did we get into your mind, Weasley?"

Everyone turned to look at Ron, who did his best to shrug. 

"I don't know," he said, frowning slightly. "It was just that I was trapped there, and you were making obnoxious remarks, and all I remember is wanting to get my hands around your neck. Since I couldn't get out, I dragged you in. I don't know how I did it."

He looked at Jeanette who shook her head. "I don't know either. I should look into that, though." She looked at Lisa. "What I'd like to know is how you defeated Lucretia."

Harry tightened his grip on her hand, and she smiled reassuringly at him. She was fully awake now, but still very weak. She hadn't left the bed and was still quite bruised.

"I did what you told me to do. I destroyed her core. Not by myself though, I had help." She smiled sadly. "We tore it apart with whatever we could find. Jeanette, what happened to them? Did they go back to their bodies too?"

She sounded so hopeful; it would have been a way to rectify her mistake. But Jeanette shook her head.

"No. I'm sorry, Lisa. Since Lucretia has been destroyed, I assume that her realm has disappeared. If that is the case, then the spirits of those poor people have gone wherever spirits go when they die. They're not coming back."

Lisa began to cry, silently. Harry put his arm around her and kissed her forehead. 

Hermione spoke up, with the words that everyone was afraid to say. "We're sure then, that Lucretia has gone for good?"

Ginny was firm on the subject. "Yes. I killed her." She said it so blandly that her husband looked at her oddly. "She won't be coming back."

There was an odd silence for awhile; everyone seemed afraid to speak. Ron only had one more question.

"What happened to the imposter Hermione?" he wanted to know.

Remus and Sirius exchanged a look. 

"She, er, escaped," Sirius said quickly. "She disappeared around the time you lot were brought in here."

Remus looked thoughtful. "I suppose we'll never find out who she was. One of the many mysteries that haunt our lives."

Jeanette took charge. "Alright it's time for everyone to rest. Ron, Ginny, we'll move you back into your respective rooms so that you can have some privacy. And you may all call in any family you want."

She ushered everyone out, floated Ron out on an invisible stretcher, allowed Remus and Draco to support Ginny and the baby, and closed the door behind her.

Lisa had stopped crying, though her nose and eyes were red. Harry was stroking her hair and holding her hand. Once everyone else had left, she looked up at her husband.

"Harry, would you please get me a piece of parchment and a quill? I have to send an owl."

* * * 

Hermione was thrilled that Ron was making a steady recovery. After the meeting, he took a few steps to get to his bed. Jeanette felt that he would make an even better recovery in his own house, so in the morning they would transfer him home. This was terrific news for Hermione who desperately wanted to go home with the children.

She called Fred and asked him to bring the children to M.A.T.D.A. so she could see them. She had missed them so much. Apparently they had missed her as well.

Back in school she had never thought of herself as a mother. She had assumed that she would be Head Girl and head into a prominent position at the Ministry. Marriage and children could come later. Much later. 

Instead she married and had children young. She had a good job as a Professor at Hogwarts (she taught Arithmancy) but she had taken a year off when each of her boys was born. Her children came before her job, something she never thought possible.

Life was funny sometimes.

* * *

He entered the room hesitantly. He wasn't sure what had brought him back, but her plea had intrigued him. As it was, for the first time in many years, he was nervous. He wasn't the nervous kind, but he genuinely did not want to come to this meeting. But the letter she had written had been difficult to refuse.

He approached her bed. She was awake and she had been expecting him.

"Thank you for coming, Professor Snape," Lisa said quietly. She had wanted to conduct this conversation in private; she'd even asked Harry to leave. "I hope this won't take long."

Snape sat down in a chair facing opposite her. "I hope so as well."

"To begin with," she continued softly, "I wanted to thank you for your assistance regarding my resurrection. Jeanette told me of your contributions. I'm sure your knowledge was invaluable."

"It was nothing," Snape replied coldly, wondering where this was going.

"I'm curious, though, as to why you would bother to help me."

Snape was mildly surprise. "Excuse me?"

Lisa looked at him. She wasn't frightened of his prickly demeanor, or annoyed by his sarcasm, she simply watched him.

"You knew didn't you?" she asked gently, not taking her eyes from his. "You knew what I did. Yet you still helped me. Why?"

"I'm sure I don't know what you're talking about," he said stiffly, his eyes narrowing. How much did this girl know?

"I'm sorry," she whispered, tears coming to her eyes. "I didn't mean to, I was young and naive. That doesn't excuse what I did. I'm responsible for her death, for the deaths of so many others. I killed my best friend without knowing it. The way that woman used my poison makes me sick. I never intended for it to happen. I'm so, so sorry."

Snape sat stiffly in the chair. His eyes were troubled, as if he was remembering a long forgotten memory. There was a long silence between them. When he spoke again it was in a gentler tone than before.

"You always were very clever, Mrs. Potter." He said this without malice, without any emotion at all. "She was my sister. She died to save me. Lucretia had kidnapped me while I was on a mission for Dumbledore. My sister came to my rescue and sacrificed herself for me. I escaped, and spent many years devoted to research on that poison. Your poison. To answer your question, yes, I did know. I came across your name in a book and remembered you from school. I spent a long time researching a way to counteract the poison, but came up with nothing."

Lisa listened to Snape pour out his story, one he had probably kept bottled up for years. She felt terrible. She had killed so many people and there was no way to bring them back.

"But now you know how to do it," she said meekly. "Could you bring her back now? She saved us all. It was because of her that we were able to destroy Lucretia's power core. I owe her a debt of gratitude."

For a moment Lisa thought she saw something equivalent to a smile on Snape's face. Then it quickly disappeared.

"I do too," he said quietly. "She was always the one to save others. A true martyr. But no, there's nothing I could do now. One thing I've learned from the experiment is that the body is needed. I buried Isobel a long time ago. I have no desire to dig her up."

Lisa understood that he didn't mean the physical Isobel; he was speaking of the memories associated with her. He had moved past her death, there was no point in resurrecting her.

He stood up to leave but a timid question from Lisa caused him to turn around.

"Professor Snape, do you forgive me?"

He knew exactly what she was asking and almost regretted not being able to give it to her. For many years he had hated this woman. Besides the fact that she was Potter's wife, she was the reason for his virtual isolation. She had created the poison that caused him such pain. She deserved to suffer. And at first, when Jeanette told him she had been infected by her own poison, he relished it. Let her and Potter suffer. But he started thinking of his pain at his sister's passing. He decided that if Isobel couldn't benefit from his research, someone could. Even if it was the person who caused all the trouble. And looking at her now, paralyzed at age twenty–six, he almost pitied her.

So he knew what she was asking, but he couldn't answer her in the way she wanted.

"No," he said finally. Her shoulders sagged and her eyes looked downcast. She didn't cry, she just looked beaten. "Because it's not my place to do so. What you want, Mrs. Potter, is complete forgiveness, to be absolved of your sins. I can't do that. No one can. Until you've spoken to every person who has lost a loved one because of your poison, and asked their forgiveness, you can't escape the punishment."

He turned and left then, leaving Lisa alone in her bed, in the foreign hospital room. She sank down onto the pillows. She didn't cry. She was beyond tears.

Her suffering went beyond the knowledge that she would never walk again. It went beyond the pain she had experienced. She knew she was responsible for the deaths of so many. People she hadn't even known, and some she had. When she had been in Lucretia's other realm, those people joined with her and helped her, not knowing who she was or what she had done. And she was alive while they were still dead. Innocent people like Terry Boot, Cho Chang, and Isobel Snape.

When she looked down at her hands all she saw was their blood. She had paid a harsh price for it. She was alive but she was imprisoned in a body that was damaged. She had gone from one kind of prison to another. The other prison left her without an identity, but there was no torture. This prison held unimaginable tortures as she relived the fact that she killed those poor people.

She knew she had done it before, for the past seven years she had spent everyday forgetting about it. Only now she could put faces to her victims and they haunted her. They weren't just miscellaneous victims anymore. She had known them, and now she knew what they had been through. She couldn't ignore them anymore. 

She wasn't sure how long she sat in that bed, lonely and desolate, before the door creaked open again. It was Harry, carrying Lily and James. He brought them to her bed and placed them on her lap.

"Look who I found," Harry whispered softly. Lisa wasn't sure if he was talking to her or the children. One look at them caused a tidal wave of tears to cascade down her cheeks.

"Mummy!" Lily said delightedly. "You're not dead! But why are you crying?"

Lisa wiped her eyes. "I'm just happy to see you, darling."

But under her breath she said, "'The woman was just bad.' You were more right than you know, Cho. You take life, you give life. It keeps the Wheel turning."

A/N: Remember, this isn't the end! There's one more chapter! Don't forget me! Ooh, and summer is coming ever closer, plus the two MAJOR tests that I have to take are over so I'll have more time to write. (The end of those two tests more or less means I have two fewer classes)

Thank yous:

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Cho Diggory: I know that it doesn't make sense that all of the Weasleys were in Gryffindor, but look at it this way, Ginny's only got like a milliliter of Hufflepuff blood, so it's not dominating. 

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Electra: such a long review! Wow! Okay, let's see if I can answer your queries...the quote was by Harry S. Truman when the papers printed Dewey won before the ballots were counted and I have Snape say it, "That isn't the way I heard it" it was really obscure so don't worry about it...I agree about Snape but in my personal opinion (and I still don't like him) I think he's probably experienced a lot of personal tragedy. I mean, Dumbledore trusts him, right?...Yeah, Gertrude was pretty good, it seemed to fit...and I like cliffhangers, although that one was by far not the worst...oh, and thanks for your nice review of A Woman Scorned...and I do have the name and basic plot for the sequel...I was going to call it Just When Life Was Perfect... but now I think I'll call it Hell Hath No Fury. I like the sound of that and it kinda goes with A Woman Scorned.

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Emily: I hope I gave you a bit more about the whole 'in Ron's mind' thing. Truth is, I'm not sure myself. 

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Isys: I'm so glad you like my story! And I made it on to your recommended list! I feel so special. I'm going to address some of your comments...hmm, well I kinda like Ginny and Neville, but I've become such a D/G shipper that it's impossible for me to think of her with anyone else! I definitely don't like her with Harry, yuck...and the title works because they're just kind of learning about the trials and tribulations of Adulthood...I'm glad you like Jeanette, I do too. She was named after a close friend of mine, but she's become her own person...I like flashbacks too because they release past information when it's relevant...I'm glad that I've written Dumbledore properly, I've read some fics where Dumbledore sounds nothing like he does in the books...I'm quite a feminist and I thought that if I was going to have the women be the heros of the story, I ought to have an evil female villain...and I can't have Snape and Draco acting too much out of character.

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Kit Cloudkicker: yeah, it really is a soap opera, isn't it?

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LilyAyl: since you were the only one to suggest a name, I took it! Destiny Aileen Malfoy, it has a nice ring. And the sequel will be good, just wait.

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Meredith: Lisa's alive because Jeanette performed necromancy and brought her back

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missunderstood: best author of all time? Me? Gee, thanks a lot!

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Saphire: I'm sorry this took awhile but I had tests

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Sehrish: thank you, I'm glad you liked it.

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soccerstar: yes, there will be a sequel, I promise

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Stella: thanks, and I'll try to name a character after you in the next chapter, okay?

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Xavi Dearest: In your Smile For Me fic, it wasn't your fault that I thought of Dementors, it was that Ron was in a cell and every time I saw Death Eaters, I thought Dementor. Oops, my mistake! Thanks as usual for your wonderful review, and thanks for reviewing A Woman Scorned.


	15. The Truth Revealed

Disclaimer: I disclaim what isn't mine. Figure it out.

A/N: Well, well, the last chapter. What would any good epic be without a party scene? I don't know. This is going to be pretty short cause it's just the epilogue, but don't worry, a new story is on it's way!

Oh, and I made a little mistake. Yes, I know, *gasp*, but it happened. I said Percy and Penelope's children Godric and Rowena were 9 and 7, but in order for that to be true, Percy would have had to have them at a super young age so I changed it to six and five. His other offspring are the same ages as before. 

Chapter 15: The Truth Revealed

Three months after the birth of little Destiny Malfoy, Harry and Lisa Potter threw a birthday party for James who was turning one. It was a grand party, in part to celebrate James' birth and in part to have a reunion of the "Lucretia Survivors". Everyone was there: all of the Weasleys, Draco, Ginny, and Destiny, Sirius, Remus, Jeanette, and Meredith, Professor Dumbledore (who had been persuaded to come out for the occasion), and various other friends and relatives.

The children were running around playing tag. Somehow Godric Weasley had managed to get hold of his mother's wand so it really was "freeze" tag. Penelope chased him around the yard trying to get it back. His little sisters, Rowena and Helga, took advantage of their mother's absence to stuff themselves with cookies until Percy descended on them and sentenced them to a time out. Fred and George, always eager to help out their nieces and nephews, supplied Charlie's children, Elizabeth and Nicholas, with dungbombs and Calamity Cupcakes. Nicky, particularly, was having great fun with the cupcakes, a recent invention of Weasley's Wizard Wheezes, Inc.

Lily, Geoffrey, David, James, and Percy's twins, Willy and Arthur, retired to the sandbox. They built great towers and knocked down again. Their parents watched from a nearby picnic table which was covered by the food.

The adults spent the time catching up. Angelina Johnson showed off the sparkling diamond that Fred had given her and announced that the wedding would be in December. Charlie, with his arm around his wife Margaret, told the group that they would be spending a few months back in Romania while the children were at Hogwarts. Seamus Finnigan and his girlfriend Lavender Brown told escapades of their time in Greece and then Dean Thomas regaled them with stories of his work in the Goblin Liaison Office. Friends of Ron's from work were there with their son who was Nicky's age. Bill Weasley had even Portkeyed in from Egypt to say hello.

Harry was surprised at some of the changes in his friends. He suddenly realized he hadn't seen any of them in a long time. He had been preoccupied with caring for Lisa and the children. Lisa had made the best recovery she could in her situation, but she was confined to a wheelchair. She insisted she was alright, though. She wouldn't let Harry make too much of a fuss and, indeed, had proved very competent at helping herself. It had been very difficult to explain to Lily what had happened, but eventually she understood. Harry felt some of the tension which had built itself up disappear in the presence of his friends and family. Playing the part of the gracious host, Harry walked to the gate to welcome in some more people who were carrying in brightly colored packages.

"Hello, Suzi," Harry said warmly, when he saw who it was. "And Ted? Is that you?"

Ted Turpin was Lisa's younger brother, a rather sullen and silent young man. He nodded curtly and followed his mother into the yard. He had much shorter hair than usual, and the lack of leather was quite a shock to Harry. For as long as Harry had known him, Ted was a wannabe rebel. He owned a motorcycle he didn't know how to drive and walked around in a leather jacket that never seemed to leave his body. Harry hadn't been expecting him.

Suzanne Turpin gave Harry a quick hug and proceeded towards the people. She handed the present she was carrying to James who had toddled over to his grandmother. Lily, for her part, came running over and hugged Suzi. Then she hugged her uncle who seemed a bit surprised by her action. He disengaged himself from her hug and walked over to his sister. He put his hand on her shoulder and said a few words. Harry noticed how Lisa's face darkened and moved to her side. Her brother had moved away.

"Lis? What's wrong?" he asked worriedly.

Lisa looked up at him. "Oh, Harry! Nothing, dear. Ted was just saying something about fate and destiny."

"Destiny? Ginny and Draco's daughter?" Harry said in confusion.

Lisa laughed. "No, the other kind of destiny. You know my brother fancies himself a prophet."

Harry nodded. He did know that. Ted was the only man he had ever met who liked Divination, was fascinated by it even. He thought he was a true Seer and divinator. Thus far, Harry had seen no evidence to support the crazy idea.

"What did he say?" Harry asked curiously.

Lisa laughed again. "Oh, Harry, I don't remember exactly. Why don't you ask him, I'm sure he'd be only too happy to tell you himself."

Then Meredith requested their presence inside the house for a special meeting. Harry and Lisa went inside and found Ron, Hermione, Ginny, Draco, Jeanette, Sirius, and Remus there as well. He made himself comfortable on the sofa and wondered what the problem could be. He thought they had discussed everything three months ago. Had Lucretia come back?

He must not have been the only one concerned because the first thing Meredith said was, "Don't worry, nothing's wrong. I just thought you might want to hear this since it concerns the whole ordeal." She took a deep breath. "Okay, I was looking through the Archives, papers and such that Albus brought from Hogwarts when M.A.T.D.A. was formed thinking they'd be safer there. And I found this." She held up a simple journal, leather bound but rather primitive looking.

"What is it?" Ginny asked.

"This is Helga Hufflepuff's diary." There was a gasp. "It contains a few interesting entries. Things that pertain particularly to you, Ginny and Draco. Here, I'll let you hear it."

She tapped the page twice and muttered something. Suddenly a woman's voice filled the room.

"I made the biggest mistake of my life yesterday. I cannot conceive why it happened and I wish with all of my heart that it had not happened. But it did. I slept with Salazar last night.

"I am so ashamed. I do not care for the man, how could I? He detests everything I stand for. He is evil and vile. Why he ever joined us in the making of our beloved Hogwarts, I do not know. He represents evil and dark magic. I think I have lost my mind.

"I know exactly why I did it, but I should not have. I was wrong to toy with a man's emotions just to hurt another man. I slept with Salazar to get back at Godric. I admit it freely. It was a lapse in judgement, I know that now, but I was not thinking clearly—or at all.

"I felt so terrible when I discovered that Godric, my Godric, fell in love with Rowena. She does not deserve him! He should be mine! So I slept with Salazar as revenge. Only I ruined everything. Now he thinks I love him, when I cannot stand to be near him, and it still hurts to see my beloved Godric pining after that mousy witch. I am so much better than she.

"I feel the guilt welling up inside as if I am to explode. Poor Salazar, I actually pity him. He fancies himself in love with me. How am I expected to love him in return? He repulses me, I can barely tolerate him. What I did was wrong, but he is wrong to expect anything from it. A mistake, that is all it was. He will realize that. Perhaps if I simply ignore it, it will go away."

The voice stopped suddenly. Everyone in the room, except Meredith, was looking stunned.

"Helga Hufflepuff slept with Salazar Slytherin to get back at Godric Gryffindor?" Ron said, his mouth hanging open.

"Er, no offense intended, Meredith," Draco said, "but what does that have to do with us?"

"That one doesn't really," she replied. "But you needed to hear that one to understand this one. It's dated a week later."

She tapped the book again and the voice (of Helga Hufflepuff, Harry assumed) resumed.

"The guilt threatens to rip me apart. Now I shall be the reason for the destruction of my beloved school! Oh, fie on Salazar, that miserable wretch. He is leaving the school, he is deserting us and it is all my fault. He claims it is because he and Godric cannot agree on the subject of muggleborns, but that is not it at all. It is because of me, because I repudiated him.

"Is he so weak that he would give up all that he has wrought just because of a woman? Then perhaps I should say good riddance. I do not love him, I cannot love him. It is not in me to spare feelings for him. Now he seeks his own vengeance against me! He will destroy everything we have worked for, everything I hold dear, in the name of Jealousy. He loathes Godric on many levels, not the least because he has my affections.

"My poor Godric is oblivious. He does not understand Salazar's true reason for leaving and sees it only as a declaration of war against himself, his beloved Rowena, and myself. I fear for the safety of my students. I hate Salazar for his pettiness and I pity him for his stubbornness. I also find myself admiring him for his convictions. If only he were not attached to me! He expects too much from a single night. I do not love men who destroy my world.

"He leaves in the morning, ripping the tentative fabric of our school apart. I find the emotions too much for me. I feel guilt, remorse, and hatred all at once. Hogwarts would not be threatened if it had not been for my foolish actions.

"No good can ever come from a relationship between a Slytherin and a Hufflepuff. It is simply asking for trouble. We are nothing alike; evil runs in his blood, while morality runs in mine. Yet it was not his evil that obliterated my life as I know it, it was my own selfishness and blindness. I did not see how much misery a single night would cause. And now it seems that because of Salazar, I have lost Godric forever.

"Therefore I am placing a spell upon myself and my descendants. Perhaps it is more of a curse. Any child that results from the relations of a woman of Hufflepuff blood and a man of Slytherin blood shall be so powerful that he or she will destroy the world. I shall refuse to speak the name of Salazar Slytherin ever again and will teach my children to hate those of his line. I shall have nothing to fear, no descendant of mine will ever lie down with a Slytherin. And if some foolish girl in the future does so, then she shall have to pay the price."

The voice stopped again and everyone looked at Ginny. She had paled and was shaking her head.

"No, it can't be!" she cried. "Ultimate power I could accept, but destroy the world? How could my little Destiny destroy the world?"

"Maybe if you raise her properly, that will never be an issue," Hermione suggested kindly. "Maybe that only would have happened if Lucretia had the raising of her."

"Think of it this way, Ginny," Jeanette said, trying to comfort the girl. "In Helga's time, Salazar and all Slytherins were evil. She probably assumed that any woman of her blood who slept with a Slytherin was evil. But you're not. Raise Destiny properly and you won't have to worry. If she's anything like you she'd never think of destroying the world."

But Ginny was distraught. "But she has so much power. How can such a tiny child possess so much power?"

No one knew what to say. Everything hung in a balance. Would Destiny turn out to be evil or could she be turned and persuaded to use her power for good? No one could possibly foresee.

Then Ginny leapt to her feet. "No, I'm not going to let this ruin the party. This changes nothing. We knew she would be powerful and I'll see to it that the power is not used for Dark purposes."

Harry thought that it was the Nature vs. Nurture debate, and only time would tell, but he wisely kept his mouth shut. Ginny walked back outside and Draco followed. The others took that as a sign to disperse and go back to the party. Harry waited until Hermione had come close and then walked out with her.

"Do you think Ginny will be alright, Herm?" he asked.

She looked thoughtful. "I'm sure she will, Ginny's ruled by her emotions, you know that. And Destiny is her first child. She's just worried that's all." But Hermione seemed a little concerned.

"So how are you?" Harry asked conversationally.

Hermione smiled secretively. "I'm pregnant."

Harry stopped short. "You're what? Does Ron know?"

"I'm pregnant, and yes, of course he knows. I wouldn't tell you first, you know. They'll be born in seven months."

"They?" Harry said.

"My doctor says I'm having twins this time around." Hermione was smiling brightly and Harry noticed how happy she seemed.

"What about work?" he asked. "Aren't you supposed to return to Hogwarts this term?"

Hermione shrugged. "I've talked to Minerva and she told me that I could return when I was ready. I plan to take one more year off before I return."

Most of the Professors at Hogwarts lived in the castle, but because Hermione taught a specialized subject that not many students took, and she was not the head of a House, she was free to live where she wished. For the first few years of her marriage, she lived with Ron on the weekends and during breaks. With Ron's hectic schedule as an Obliviator, the schedule worked alright—for a while. When Geoffrey was born she took the year off and then decided not to return to work for awhile. Then David was conceived and she stayed home to raise him. She had planned to return this year, but now she was pregnant again. Harry wondered if she would ever go back.

Almost in answer to his silent question, Hermione said, "I've also talked to Ron. We've decided to move to Hogsmeade to be close to the school. Then I could just Apparate home after school. I'd hate not seeing my children during the week."

There was a moment's silence between them. Then Hermione spoke.

"Was Professor Snape invited? I know you don't particularly like him, but he did save Lisa's life."

"Jeanette saved Lisa's life," Harry corrected, "with some help from Snape. And yes, I invited him, but he declined."

They walked to the door and surveyed the backyard. Percy was trying to discuss work with Dean who was trying to avoid him by stuffing his mouth with food. Fred and Angelina were talking to Molly and Arthur, no doubt about the wedding. George was running around with Nicky, Godric, and Edgar, the son of Samantha and Donald Kingsley, Ron and Hermione's friends. Lily was demanding that there be cake and presents and Helga had joined in. Rowena and her twin brothers were making mud pies. Bill, Charlie, and Margaret were talking to Seamus and Lavender. Suzi was chattering away to Professor Dumbledore who listened patiently. Ron and Lisa were talking cheerfully.

If it accomplished nothing else, the Lucretia ordeal had turned Ron and Lisa into friends, which made Harry and Hermione very happy.

Harry saw that Ginny had Destiny in her lap and was staring at her daughter, as if searching for answers. Could her little girl really possess the power to destroy the world? Draco put an arm around his wife and pulled her close. He whispered something in her ear and she nodded.

Harry walked over to them with a friendly smile. "So, you two, what are you doing now? Now that you're back, I mean."

"Well, I've applied for a position at M.A.T.D.A.," Draco said. Harry was mildly surprised. "Black and Lupin may not like me very much, but they can't deny I'm useful."

Harry nodded. "What about you, Ginny?"

She looked down at the baby in her arms. "I'm going to stay home to raise Destiny. Now that we no longer have to hide, Draco can rightfully inherit his parent's estate. We won't have to worry about money."

Harry was a little skeptical. "You want to live in Malfoy Manor? Doesn't it have a few, er, bad memories attached? And can you really inherit, Draco? Your mother isn't dead."

Draco smiled craftily. "You and I know that, but no one else does. My mother isn't exactly in a place where she can claim any of my father's money and Malfoy Manor has been deserted for two years. I think no one will object."

Harry shrugged. "Then I wish you two the best of luck."

"Thank you, Harry," Ginny said softly.

Harry was about to go to Lisa when Ted came up to him and motioned for Harry to follow him.

"This must be said in private," he explained. "Where can we go without being disturbed?"

Harry led his brother–in–law to his study. He shut the heavy door and looked at Ted expectantly.

"Here," Ted said, handing Harry and envelope. "I was told to give this to you."

He waited while Harry ripped open the envelope and read the letter which read:

__

Dear Mr. Potter,

We have reason to believe that the witch is not gone for good. You would do well to place yourself and your family under immediate protection. There are those assigned to protect you, but you need not concern yourself with their identities. Please take heed of this message. At the moment, she is in hiding, but it won't be long until she attacks. Keep your family safe.

Mr. X

Harry raised an eyebrow questioningly at Ted. When no answers were forthcoming, he voiced his questions.

"What is the meaning of this, Ted? Who do you work for?"

He shook his head. "I cannot divulge my employer's name. Just know that his primary interest is the safety of your family. I mean it, Harry. There is a threat aimed against you."

"Why me?" Harry asked. "Lucretia made it perfectly clear at our last meeting that she did not want me."

Ted sighed. "She doesn't want you, but she wants revenge. Specifically against Lisa, Hermione, and especially Virginia. She wants your children. She functions on revenge. It's what she does."

Harry felt like someone had struck him on his head. "So, what am I supposed to do?"

"Nothing," Ted said with a shrug. "Just be aware. You can't tell anyone about the witch. That she's alive, I mean. Keep it to yourself."

Harry peered at him. "How long have you been doing this? Does Lisa know?"

"A long time and no, Lisa has no idea. I intend to keep it that way." Then Ted smiled slyly in a way that made Harry question his ability to trust this man. "Here, dear brother–in–law, a parting gift for you before I leave."

"It's James' birthday," Harry pointed out.

"I realize that and have already given him his present. This is for you. _In years yet to come, one girl will stand alone. She will fight the Hag and lose. But with the help of the Scholar and the Chosen One, she will triumph. But beware the one who walks in shadows. She must never forget where she comes from. She must seek aid from one below her, the Prankster, and in doing so will gain knowledge that will destroy the Hag._" He seemed to come out of a trance. "A prophecy for you, my brother. Remember it. It will no doubt prove invaluable."

As if Harry could ever forget it. The words seemed to be branded on his brain. Ted gave a nod of satisfaction and left the room. Harry stood there for a long time, very confused. Lisa came into the room a little while later. She seemed quite exhausted, but happy.

"Harry? Is something wrong? The guests are demanding cake so I volunteered to get you. What's the matter?"

Harry couldn't bring himself to say it. He would hate to cause Lisa any worry. No doubt Ted's message was all an elaborate prank. He smiled at his wife.

"If the people want cake, I say, 'Let them eat cake!'"

He kissed her quickly and they went outside together. Everyone was having a good time and was happy. Finally life was peaceful. Harry even noticed that Remus and Jeanette were having a private conversation with smiles on their faces while Sirius fled from the attentions of Meredith. He smothered a laugh. 

"Come on, Harry," Lisa said, giving his arm a tug. "You have to break open the pinata."

Harry followed her, feeling satisfied for the first time in a long time. He hoped the peace would last forever. 

But he couldn't get Ted's words out of his head.

* * *

Ron moved to the edge of the yard. They were there, waiting for him. When he was unconscious and in and out of reality, he had dreamt of them. Strange, tortured dreams they were. They seemed like the nightmares Harry used to have back when he went to Hogwarts. Ron wondered if it was possible to dream someone else's dreams.

"We came to say goodbye, Ron," Lily said softly.

"Forever? Or only for awhile?" Ron asked before he could stop himself. He owed part of his life to these ghosts.

"Who knows?" James shrugged. "We can't see the future anymore than you can. We go where we're told. We help who we must. You happened to be in need of our assistance, but who can say if it will happen again? Don't watch for us, Ron. There's a good chance we'll never see each other again."

Ron nodded. "I understand. The only thing I regret is that you couldn't talk to Harry. Have you seen you're grandchildren?"

Lily smiled. "Yes, it was a wonderful tribute to us for Harry to name his children after us."

"We're sorry that Harry couldn't see us or hear us, but we got to see him. We're happy, in a way, that our deaths allowed Voldemort to be defeated that one time, but we regretted being ripped from our child. Harry has overcome many obstacles, and we are very proud of him," James said.

Ron hesitated. "Could I—should I tell him about you?"

Lily hesitated as well. "You could, but we suggest you don't. I don't think Harry could handle it."

Ron nodded. "Alright. This will be between you and me."

"And Hermione, if you wish," James said. "I, for one, wouldn't condone keeping secrets from your wife."

Ron fidgeted. "Then I suppose this is it? Goodbye, Lily, James. Thank you for everything."

"Goodbye, Ron," Lily said as she and James began to disappear entirely. "Be the best friend Harry could have, he needs you. Everyone needs you, you are their protector."

Ron continued to stare at the spot where the ghosts of Lily and James Potter had floated. Harry came up to him and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Hey, what are you staring at? It's time for cake." Harry caught the expression on his best friend's face. "Are you alright?"

Ron shook himself. "I'm fine, Harry. I was just thinking. Let's go."

Together, they walked back to the party, two best friends whose friendship could survive anything.

* * *

She stood, hidden by the trees, watching the party for a long time. Her face mirrored her hatred and anger. She loathed those people. They thought that they were rid of her? How sweet it would be when she proved them wrong. Time was all it took, time and patience. Fortunately she had endless amounts of both.

When night came and the party ended, she finally stirred. She beckoned to her two subordinates. They came out of the darkness and moved to her side. One would have been quite familiar to some members of the party, but she had been careful to remain hidden. The other was a stranger, although she too had met the party–goers. Except that she had been disguised as one of their own and hadn't known who she really was.

The woman who was burning with hatred, turned so that the moonlight illuminated her face. She was quite hideous. Her face looked as if it had met with an accident. She was old and ruined. She no longer had the beauty they sung songs about. And she wanted payback.

"Come Narcissa, Susan," the woman said in a whisper. "We shall go. I will be avenged, but I can wait. I have forever."

And Lucretia faded away into the trees with her two faithful Followers right behind her.

This wasn't over, oh no, not by a long shot. But like Lucretia said, she had forever.

A/N: That's the end of It's So Difficult to be Mature, but I won't say goodbye because there's a sequel already in the works. And summer's coming soon so that means I can spend entire days writing. Joy! So don't forget me, and if you loved this story, wait for the sequel, which is (at the moment) called Hell Hath No Fury. You can trust me to make it good.


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